All The Little People
by Olive Tree Hugger
Summary: There will be drama. /FinnXFlame/Bubbeline/ Chapter 11 now up!
1. Chapter 1

Jake sat up with a cold sweat, panting. He shook violently as he tried to grasp his thoughts. Suddenly, a wild cough erupted in his chest and he lamented the fact that he would have to go to work while sick.

The twenty-eight year old groaned at the sudden realization that he had to work today. He had a bad cold and no ride since his car was totaled last week. He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall; it read six-forty two AM. He groaned again. As he began to shift in his sheets, he felt his sinuses fill up, causing a familiar pounding sensation in his head.

He felt cold as he let the blanket slip off of his body. He walked over to the small bathroom in the hallway and showered quickly. He liked taking showers when he had a cold; the steam cleared his sinuses for a while and lessened the migraine afflicting him.

He went back to the bedroom feeling a bit more uplifted and rummaged through a pile of clothing in the corner. He finally found a clean pair of pants and began putting one foot through the leg when he suddenly lost his footing and fell on top of a discarded Flyleaf CD. As expected, it broke.

He stared at it for a few moments before cursing, and thought,

"Marceline is gonna _destroy_ me."

He finished getting dressed, tie and all, and ran a comb through his curly black hair. Then he combed what little hair he had on the developing Go-Tee he was sporting , tied on his sneakers and rushed downstairs.

He was making_ awesome_ time.

When he made it to the kitchen, he found his younger brother Finn scribbling on some papers hurriedly.

Jake smirked, "Forgot to do your homework last night, kiddo?" He asked.

Finn made an affirmative "mmhmm" sound and continued to write.

Jake sighed, and said, "I got you Mrs. Trunks cause I knew you like challenges. Don't you think it's time you step up to a new level, like you know, doing your assignments early?"

Finn shrugged, replying, "Nah, bro. Mrs. Trunks is cool like that. What's the point of being homeschooled and doing homework if it's in the same place?"

Jake shook his head, smiling. "Kid, you're gonna end up like your big brother if you procrastinate like that." He warned.

Finn clicked his pen and shuffled his papers into one neat pile, "Done," he said happily, "and c'mon Jake, a little procrastination is cool. It took Jesus three days to come back from the dead!"

Jake rolled his eyes as he began putting together a bagel. "I never should've gotten you that bible." He muttered.

Finn laughed. "You're so uptight, Jake. Chill out!"

Jake coughed again. "I can't man. I'm sick and I got work today. Not to mention Raini isn't speaking to me."

Finn sighed, "Still mad about the Halloween party?"

Jake coughed again, "Yeah. Dressing like Kim Jong Il definitely wasn't a good choice."

Finn shrugged, this time getting up to make some instant coffee.

Jake took a bite from his bagel, "What time is Mrs. Trunks coming today? Did she tell you?"

The younger brother answered, "In half an hour. She said she's bringin' pie." He sounded excited with the last word.

Jake felt his mouth watering. "Apple?" Finn nodded.

"I love Mrs. Trunks' apple pie. But I got to go work," he said with disdain, "Save me some!" He went to grab his jacket and said, "Call me if it's urgent. Focus in school, bye."

Finn waved in response and hummed as he waited for his coffee. He was a fifteen year old teenager. He wasn't supposed to be drinking coffee, but hey. He had no parents to tell him what to do.

He and Jake were technically step brothers. When Fin was an infant, he was abandoned on the steps of a small cathedral in Philadelphia, where Jake's parents found him. They adopted him, baptized him, and loved him like their own child.

Jake was just a young teenager at the time. He wasn't confused and angry with his parent's decision to adopt someone younger- like most kids his age. He immediately took to Finn.

While his parents ran the cathedral, Jake spent time with his little brother. He taught Finn all that he knew about life and gave him advice whenever he needed it. No doubt, sometimes ill advice got them both in trouble, deep trouble, but Jake always bailed his little brother out in the end.

When Margaret and Joshua, Jake's parents, passed away two years ago, Jake took the responsibility of getting a job out of the church business and getting Finn a private teacher instead of sending him to the expensive Catholic school Margaret wanted. It was better for finances, and better for Finn.

Finn was usually very outgoing and outspoken, but his bright personality sometimes got him in trouble. Jake wanted to make sure that the drama stayed close to home and with someone he could trust.

Finn's tutor, Mrs. Trunks, was that type of lady.

Finn sipped his coffee and made his way to the iron cage hanging from the ceiling in the corner of the room. The house itself was quite small, the ceilings not too high. Any average height teenager could easily reach this ceiling with the tips of his fingers. He gently poked the cage, causing it to sway a bit.

He heard a high pitched squawk and a ruffle of feathers. Suddenly two beady eyes peered down at him and Fin smiled.

"Morning' Beemo!" He called to the large parrot.

The bluish green bird squawked a "Good Morning Finn." To his master and then pecked at the cage door. "Door" he continued to repeat until Finn unlatched the door handle.

The big bird flew out and landed on Finn's shoulder.

"Hello." Beemo whistled into his master's ear.

Finn chuckled as Beemo nuzzled into his blond hair. "Hey Beemo. Sleep good?"

"sleep good." Beemo replied, about three times. He shifted his little claws on Fin's shoulder and ruffled his feathers some more.

Finn liked Beemo's speech patterns. Beemo was a gift to Finn from Jake's girlfriend Raini. Raini was Korean and so she spoke to him in Korean. When Finn got around to teaching Beemo some words, they came out accented. Beemo sounded like a Korean exchange student.

"You want breakfast?" Finn asked his parrot.

Beemo answered with a glad whistle, and Fin fed him some peanut buttered crackers.

Just then, a knock sounded. Then the doorbell rang. Finn said, out loud, "Oh, that's probably Mrs. Trunks."

Beemo repeated, "Probably Trunks!"

"Finn? Finn sweetie, open up. It's Mrs. Trunks!" A thick, Southern voice carried from outside.

Finn excitedly opened the door. He couldn't wait to sink his teeth in some juicy apple pie. Mrs. Trunks stood there, smiling warmly and holding a lumped wrapped up in a blue blanket. Fin realized that "lump" must have been the pie.

Short, stout Mrs. Trunks practically floated into the room. She was wearing her usual yellow get-up, a skirt and blouse, with a red and white apron tied around her billowy abdomen. Treeny Trunks, or as everyone called her, "Mrs. Trunks" was the Mother Goose, Southern Belle and Aunt Jemima of the town of 'Oedipus Village' (known affectionately as 'Ooo' to its inhabitants). She was born and raised in the heart of Georgia and came to the town to homeschool children.

Finn, out of respect for the older lady, went to kiss her cheek. Mrs. Trunks blushed and said as usual, "Oh, Fin, dear, you're like the grandson I never had."

Finn shrugged, smiling.

Mrs. Trunks smoothed down her apron. "So, honey cakes, where did we leave off?"

Finn smiled and replied, "Macbeth, Act four."

* * *

"JAKE!"

Jake flinched. He had just raced past the security guard in front of the building. He was just one minute late, but Mr. Gumm didn't like tardiness.

Jake turned around and peered up at the overly-tall, rather pink faced corporate mogul. As usual, Mr. Gumm was dressed in an extremely fancy suit, but today he had a bright pink flower peeking out of the breast pocket; meaning he had somewhere important to be.

Gumm sighed. "Jake, you're a good assistant but you are _always_ tardy."

Jake started to reply but suddenly he felt a sneeze building up in his sinuses. He clenched his eyes shut and held his breath. Suddenly, he sneezed hard, causing him to double over. Then he started to cough.

Mr. Gumm watched this with both distaste and pity. "Christ, son!" He said, "No wonder you were late today. Listen, I have to go watch Bonnibel at her school science fair. I was going to have you come with, but Jesus, you look like you're about to keel over any second."

Jake waved it off, "Nah," he wheezed, "it's ok, sir. I'm fine."

Mr. Gumm nodded, "Alright, then, go to my office. You've got some filing to do, boy."

Jake growled inwardly. Mr. Gumm patted his back and said, "Don't worry. Your friend Hunson will join you later today."

Jake lifted his head. He didn't like Hunson. He liked having his daughter _Marceline_ around, though.

Jake and Marceline Abadeer used to be school rivals. Jake played the viola like a pro and Marceline was an amazing bass player and every year of junior high they battled during the talent shows. They never liked each other until Jake graduated ahead of Marceline by almost six years. Jake went off to college and Marceline started high school.

It was when Jake began working for Mr. Gumm when he saw Marceline again. It was "bring your daughter to work" day and Hunson dragged along his brat. They instantly hit it off and became good friends.

She and Finn also had a friendly relationship. Sometimes, Jake noted, it seemed a little too friendly. Almost like they were flirting, but Finn was always too busy crushing on Bonnibel "Bonni" Gumm to take Marceline seriously.

Jake smirked at the thought of his brother and Bonni, Mr. Gumm's genius niece. Finn had such an intense crush on her, although she was three years his senior and much smarter than him.

Jake rushed to Mr. Gumm's large office and started tidying up before filing said papers.

Jake had been Mr. Gumm's assistant for two years now. Mr. Gumm was a bossy man, but never mean or hostile. On multiple occasions, Mr. Gumm expressed his gratitude and for favor of Jake and by inviting him and Finn over for dinner and giving them gifts.

Jake lamented the fact that he hadn't been promoted, but being Mr. Gumm's personal assistant wasn't so bad. It wasn't cushy, for certain. There were times Mr. Gumm would make him walk three blocks in the cold and snowy weather just for a "perfect cup of coffee" as he put it, but it was worth it. Jake got paid well and that was enough to put Finn in a good, clean home and get him a good teacher. He was just looking out for his brother.

Someone crashed through the doors suddenly, tripping onto the ground as they did so.

Jake watched as a lanky, tall man stood abruptly, picking papers up off the floor and trying to get his bearings.

He sighed, "Hey, Hunson." God, he really didn't like this guy.

Hunson nodded his way, and started to look around, "Jake, you know where this Gumm's lap top is?"

Jake rolled his eyes. What a jerk. Hunson claimed to get over his porn addiction a year ago but it was obvious to everyone who knew him that he really had not.

"Hunson, we have to file these papers, man. Maybe if we finish fast enough, Gumm will let us go early."

Hunson groaned, but he nodded and approached the desk.

As they worked, Hunson whistled and hummed and Jake tuned him out as much as possible.

Jake never liked Hunson as a co-worker or as a "friend". Hunson was a wishy-washy, klutz of a porn addict, and a real jerk to his daughter Marceline.

* * *

_ One day, while it rained like Hell outside, Jake and Finn played video games and enjoyed a big bowl of caramel popcorn. There was a series of loud thuds on the door which scared Beemo and Finn. When Jake opened the door, he saw Marceline standing there in wet clothing, her long black hair plastered to her face, and her normally pale skin was red like blood._

_ When Jake invited her inside she immediately began to cry and Finn jumped abashedly to hug her. After coaxing her to calm down, Marceline told them her father had invited a prostitute to the house, and locked her outside with a small paper cup full of fries. The "snack" was the leftover dinner of the prostitute. Marceline would have stayed at the door but it began to rain and she felt extremely lonely._

* * *

The sad memory of Marceline made Jake ask Hunson, "How's Marcy?"

Hunson just looked up at him, confused. Jake sighed,

"Your daughter, _Marceline_!"

A goofy smile formed on Hunson's face and he let out a "_Oooooh!_ _**My**_ Marceline. The little kid is alright, I guess. "

Jake continued to prod. "What's she been up to, lately?"

Hunson shrugged as he stapled a stack of papers together. "I believe she's getting together a band, she's good with the guitar, that one."

Jake sneered. That was at least three years ago. Did the man ever talk to his daughter?

"She plays the bass, Hunson." He corrected.

Hunson shrugged, "Whatever," he answered, "It's all music."

The younger man shook his head pitifully and wondered why Marceline didn't just emancipate herself.

* * *

Finn was reading with Beemo on his head when Jake returned from work, wheezing.

"Whoa," Finn noted, "You still feeling sick?"

Jake coughed a bit, "Yeah."

Finn put down the book and lay back on the couch, rubbing a hand on the faux cheetah seat warmer draped on the arm. "Mrs. Trunks says I'm doing' good, so good she might have to up my reading level."

Jake started up the stairs, "That's awesome bro. I'm gonna go change. Watch the door, though, kay? I invited Bonni over."

Finn blushed at the sound of Bonni's name. His heart started racing and his stomach twisted in knots.

"Why?" He tried to ask as smoothly as possible,

Jake shrugged, "Today she had a science fair, she won. It's just for celebratory reasons. I invited Raini, too."

Then Finn knew Jake had set up a double date for them. He felt a smile curl up on his lips. "I love you, bro." He said warmly.

Jake smirked and replied, "I know."

* * *

**BAM. Chapter 1 down. I am SOOOO excited for this story. I watched "All The Little People" for the first time yesterday and I loved it. I figured all the dramatic relationships and breakups real Finn created would be hella awesome for this story. So read! Review! And be nice, I like nice people.**

**Oh, and my name is Olive Tree Hugger. If you like, you may call me Olive. (Not my real name). I love TV, I love writing and twisting my favorite TV shows to fulfill my own fantasies. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Lots of pairings in this story, ya'll.**

* * *

Bonnibel smoothed her pink romper down. She stood in front of the mirror of Jake and Finn's bathroom for a while, gussying herself up and twisting her blondish-pink hair to make it wavier.

The mirror was streaked, the toilet seat up and stained with God knows what, and she could have sworn seeing a wasp's nest just outside of the window. It was clearly a "boys' only" bathroom.

Bonnibel reached into the front pocket of her romper and pulled out a purse spray. She didn't want to leave the bathroom without making it smell like lychee and grapes, and then she sprayed herself. She always liked smelling/looking her best. Her Uncle Gumbald always pointed out that a wealthy young woman such as herself should dress and act like a princess; be dignified, in a way. In fact, she technically was a princess. Her father was prince of Maldonia and therefore Bonnibel herself was royalty.

As a young, nerdy girl with no parents, Bonnibel was always subject to bullying at her old school. How could she not be? She was a lovely youth with brains, royal blood and personality, and she was rich…for most teenagers, this was a dream.

Now Bonnibel, or "Bonni", as her friends called her, went to a private university only for the scientifically and linguistically gifted. Bonni was a whiz at science (especially chemistry) and could speak Korean and German fluently.

Today was the science fair nationals, and she won for her project named "Lemon Grab", that is, she genetically modified a lemon to attract magnets, where it latches onto anything metallic, from earrings to coins to small refrigerator magnets. Her lemon creation would "grab" the metal, hence the name.

She won, of course, and Uncle Gumbald took her out for frozen yogurt. She got her favorite flavor, bubblegum, and ate it in the limousine. Then Uncle Gumbald stopped at his office and told Jake the great news, who then invited her over for a small party in celebration.

Now she was here, in their bathroom. She sometimes wondered about her friendship with the brothers. She and Jake were strictly friends, nothing more. He was almost ten years older and dating Raini. She was never attracted to him much, anyway. She and Finn, however, had a weird relationship. She really cared about Finn, loved him like a friend, but she could tell Finn liked her a lot. _A lot. _She could see his ears turn pink when she laughed at his jokes, and whenever they hugged "hello/goodbye", he always latched on like a lost puppy.

Finn was a cute boy. He had big blue eyes filled with wonder and kindness, and his blond hair was shiny and soft, and he was developing well. But he was so young, and it had nothing to do with his age.

Finn's maturity level was still pretty low. He could be serious when need be, but he still played silly pranks and laughed at immature jokes about sex. Also, he had no experience dating; she was probably his first crush ever. Bonni had been in relationships with people before, and they never ended well. She wasn't going to waster her time on a relationship with a childish teenager whose infatuation would eventually pass, teaching him how to do things.

She sighed, rearranged her dress so it looked prim and perfect, and left the bathroom.

She walked into the living room to see Jake and Finn on the ground, wrestling. She watched as Jake put his little brother in a strong hold and squeeze. Bonni practically shrieked,

"Boys!"

The pair looked up.

"What?" Finn asked, his head still locked between Jake's strong arms.

Bonni sputtered, "Jake, you're gonna hurt him. What are you fighting about?"

Jake let go of Finn and shrugged. The younger put his hands up, saying, "Cool it, Peebles. We're just wrestling. We were waiting for you."

Bonni smiled at the sound of Finn's nickname for her. When he found out she was royalty, he began making up all sorts of names for her; "Princess Bonni", "PB", "Princess Bubblegum" and most recently, "Peebles".

"Waiting for me for what?" Bonni asked.

Jake gestured to the front door, "Waiting for you to leave the bathroom. Me, you, Raini and Finn, we're going out to eat!"

Bonni smiled, "That sounds wonderful," she breathed, "but where's Raini? She's coming with us, yes?"

"I'm here." A voice from behind her sounded. From the kitchen door, stepped out a tall, thin woman; Raini. Her hair was long, dyed a pale blond and streaked with different colors, resembling a rainbow. Her dark eyes were slanted and lined with very bright eyeliner.

Bonni smiled, "Hello, Raini." She said.

Raini, always quiet and soft-spoken, returned the gesture with a wave and made her way to Jake. Jake wrapped an arm around his girlfriend and said, "We all ready to go?"

Finn and Bonni both grinned at each other and exclaimed in unison, "Yes!"

* * *

After dinner, the quad walked to _"The Candy Kingdom"_, a bakery and candy store, for dessert.

Raini, Finn, and Bonni all piled into a booth while Jake ordered cake for them. Bonni turned to Raini, who happened to be a close friend of hers, and they started to gab about girly things Finn didn't quite understand.

Instead, he just snuck looks at Bonni and felt his stomach go upside down.

She was so pretty. She was tall, but curvy and fit. Finn sometimes dreamt of doing things with Bonni that he could never even tell Jake about. She had such a big, genuine smile filled with affection, and her eyes were amethyst wonders, to say the least. Her hair was long, and spaghetti straight, but it looked soft and warm. The color was really intriguing to him, it was blondish-pink. He figured she'd dyed it a couple times, but it looked so naturally "_Bonni_".

She was a very kind human being, in all ways. She volunteered at orphanages and nursing homes, and she took time out of her busy schedule to teach Finn about science sometimes.

There were just so many things about Bonni that Finn loved, but what he hated was how badly he liked her. He wished it wasn't so obvious. It seemed like every time he tried to talk to her, his guts spilled and he made it easier for her to tell how much he liked her.

He suddenly realized that if he kept staring at her, she would notice and he would be even more screwed.

He shifted his gaze elsewhere; the wall, the barista selling coffee in the back, some of the other patrons. He realized something suddenly. He looked back at the barista.

The pale skin, the long black hair, the grey tank top; Marceline!

He excused himself from the booth, to which the girls replied with "meh"'s, and hurried over to the counter Marceline stood in front of.

Marceline must have seen him, because after giving a patron his change she shooed him away. She smiled at Finn and leaned over to him.

"Hey, Finn. What's up?"

Finn grinned back and said, "Not much, just getting' some cake with the broskies." He gestured to where his friends were sitting.

Marceline took one look at the booth and her face went sour. "That's nice, kid. What's going on with you? Is Jake done with my Flyleaf CD?"

"Oh," Finn said, he remembered seeing the broken CD on their bedroom floor, "Uh, I'm not sure. You could ask him that."

Marceline stood there thinking for a few moments and said, "He broke it, didn't he?"

Finn twiddled his thumbs, "Yes, ma'am." He gave up.

The girl sneered, "I'm gonna destroy him."

Finn shook his head, "Nah, don't do that, Marcy. It's cool; I'll get you a new one."

Marceline's head tipped to one side and she smiled, "Aw, thanks, Finn. You're really sweet."

Finn grinned, "No probs, Marcy. You just say the word and I get you what you need."

The young woman smiled again, "Aw, Finn. You're a good kid." She saw Jake return to the booth holding plates and said, "Oh, you're thousand calorie dessert just passed by, Finn."

Finn turned around and almost shouted, "Hey, my cake! "And ran off.

Marceline giggled a bit before tending to a patron.

Finn really was a good kid. She couldn't even count all the times he bailed her out of bad situations and helped her out of her frequent bouts of depression. He was obnoxiously loud, but that made him funny. Marceline could always count on Finn to make her smile.

Surprisingly enough, he gave good advice, even though he was only an immature fifteen year old.

Finn saw her through her relationship with Ash, her latest ex. He begged her to get out of the relationship before she got hurt. Marceline didn't want to though, thinking Finn was just trying to coax her into dating her.

After all, Finn definitely crushed on her, maybe not as hard as how he crushed with Bonnibel, but definitely hard crushing.

And Finn listened to her when she vented about her father's pig-like habits and perverted secrets, and he listened to her music.

Marceline played on her axe-shaped bass all the time and she was always writing songs. Some of the most powerful music she wrote was about her anger/remorse towards some of her exes and lost friends. Finn always asked her what the lyrics meant, since she wrote in riddles.

Finn, being the age he is, wouldn't understand the sexual and angry connotations of her music. Plus, they often highlighted her dreams and memories as a lost child.

She didn't want to expose her Finn to that. He was too good of a person.

* * *

The front door flew open, and Marceline stomped in, slamming it behind her.

That ungrateful, horrible, cow!

"Marceline?" Her father poked his head through the bathroom door. "Is that you, Marceline?"

She glared at her father and could see guilt and fear in his eyes.

"Honey, I'm with someone, could you go visit one of your little friends?"

Marceline had honestly had it that day. First Bonnibel and now Dad. She puffed up her chest and screamed,

_"NOOOOO!"_

The man quickly shut the door and didn't say a word to her. He was afraid of his daughter.

Marceline spit a loogie at his general direction before stomping all the way to her bedroom. She shut the door behind her and pressed her back against it. She could feel her face heating up and her muscles twisted in rage and pain.

Her eyes burned and she wanted to cry. Just cry out her frustrations. Her feelings were too angry to write out in a song, not right now.

She let a few tears stream down her cheeks and she inhaled sharply. God, how she hated the people around her!

No one seemed grateful to have her around, no one wanted her, it seemed.

This was always happening. She always got too attached to someone, and then they would hurt her.

It was her mother first. Marceline was about four when her mother Valerie picked up and left her and her father. Marceline sat at the door for days crying and shouting, "Mommy, come back!"

But she got over it. She quickly learned to fend for herself without a mother (or father's love). She quit trying to befriend her dad, he was a fall down drunk of a pervert and she didn't' need his drama in her life.

* * *

_When she was twelve, she befriended the school librarian, Simon Petrikov. He was a strange man, always reading books about prehistoric treasure, always talking about exploring caves and mountains. Marceline knew something was wrong with him mentally, though he was a genius._

_Sometimes he'd be delusional and call Marceline "Betty", but Marceline didn't care. He was the only man who seemed to care about her at all, because he always talked to her and made her feel special. _

_One night, Marceline was feeling depressed. Her father had been drinking and had said some awful things about her mother. She walked all the way to Simon's house and let herself in, as usual. (Simon had given her keys) _

_She found Simon reading and she suddenly felt something…different. He was reading by a candle and the dim light illuminated his features in a way that made her excited._

_Simon knew it was wrong. Him and a young girl? No one would accept it, he didn't even accept it. But then Marceline came closer and suddenly he saw his Betty again._

_"Oh, Betty. I've missed you." He breathed._

* * *

Marceline sighed at the memory. Simon was in prison now. He wouldn't have gone in had it not been for her father finding the love letters that he sent her.

After that fiasco, Marceline had a series of whirlwind relationships with many men and one young woman whom she probably hated the most.

Many people called Marceline a whore because of the people she'd been with, but sometimes she felt like blurting out their names, especially the girl's, in order to shift the blame.

The people she'd been with were perverts, liars, and two faced creeps. Marceline only wanted to find love.

The young Goth girl decided now was a good time to write a song.

Half an hour later, Marceline laid out her music sheets in front of her and picked up her axe bass. She strummed softly on it for a while before striking a hard note and threw in some of the harshest notes she'd ever played. She opened her mouth and began singing:

_"They're like sticks and stones_

_An anvil falling from the clouds_

_Enough to break my bones_

_Enough to take away my sound_

_When I cry out 'please'_

_Only the crows mourn_

_I could cry my heart out, please_

_I could die here on the floor_

_You look at me like I'm evil_

_Marceline the Vampire Queen_

_I stay away from the people_

_'The coldest girl I've ever seen'_

_I'm as cold as they think I am_

_I'm as angry as they wish I could be_

_I stay closed off like a clam_

_I'm a monster 'cause no one trusts me_

_You are a two faced_

_Hypocrite rosy cheeks_

_Your words they are laced_

_With cold venom when you speak_

_Ruddy faced girl in a colorless world_

_Or a pale girl in a rainbow catastrophe_

_I think as the winds curl_

_My emotions like crashing seas_

_The thunder in her heart_

_The lightning in her eyes_

_But she opens her mouth she starts_

_Her pink lips weave you lies_

_When the two meet they_

_They come alive_

_Anger gives way_

_They both want to cry_

_Maybe I'll meet her again_

_Tell her she means more_

_But the moment she starts to defend_

_I'm flying through the door_

_I have no time for games_

_I have no time for cover ups_

_Just tell them about our flames_

_Please tell them, buttercup"_

At the last word, she strummed softly and sighed.

Wow, writing a song always did the strangest things to her body. Her mind was always left spinning, her fingers still trembling.

Her eyes were wet and she realized this song could do more for her than any relationship.

She felt good, really good. Good enough to march over to Bonnibel and demand the truth. She stood, feeling determined, but a crash coming from outside caught her attention.

She hid her bass behind her bed post, in its usual place, before rushing outside and finding her father on the ground. There was a shattered lamp lying beside him, the front door was wide open.

His head was bleeding.

Marceline sneered, "Oh, Dad. " She picked up and phone and dialed 9-1-1.

"Yeah, my dad…he's on the ground, I think he got hit with the lamp. It's broken." She said to the operator. "Yeah, it's bleeding. A lot." She poked him with her toe, he groaned. "Yeah, he's breathing. Ok. Fine. 2289 Ophelia Avenue. Ok."

She looked back down at him and growled. "You bring this all on yourself, old man."

* * *

**MATHEMATICAL! Thanks for the reviews and love, guys. I def feel the feels 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**_I will be introducing some new characters soon. In this chapter, you will finally meet Pep But...but as a HUMAN!_**

* * *

Jake woke up startled, to the sound of loud whispering and a door opening.

He sat up and looked down at Raini, sleeping on his left side. It was still dark outside, pretty late, too.

He still heard harsh whispers coming from downstairs. Figuring it was burglars, he reached for the pistol he kept under his nightstand, kissed Raini's forehead and walked into the hallway.

He locked his bedroom door to keep her safe, and did the same to Finn's door.

He tiptoed downstairs and listened for more whispers.

It was quiet. _Too quiet._

He felt a floor board creak on his way into the kitchen. He cringed. There were sudden hushing noises and slight movement going on in there. Were they hiding?

He jumped into the doorway, screeching with his pistol pointed at the intruders.

"AAAAH!" He yelled, ready to pull the trigger.

Finn and Marceline screamed and shielded their faces with their hands.

Jake shouted, "WHOA! What the Hell?" He hid the pistol behind his back and yelled at Finn,

"Finn, what are you doing up?! Marcy, why are you here?"

Marceline threw her hands up, "Jake, I'm sorry, I needed to talk!"

Finn added, "I was in the bathroom when I heard her knock."

Jake scratched his curls and sighed. "Finn, do you have school tomorrow?"

The younger brother shrugged, "Yeah, I guess."

Jake glanced at the clock, "It's half past midnight…get to bed." He yawned.

Finn nodded and gestured to Marceline, "Totally, just lemme see what's up with her."

Jake was already out of the room, slogging up the stairs. He called sleepily, "Hurry up down there!"

Marceline sighed and crossed her arms. "Sorry, Finn. I know, I cause problems for you."

Finn snorted and reached for the fridge. He drew two sodas out and handed one to his friend. "Now, tell me what's up." He said softly.

They sat on the kitchen floor and Marceline started talking.

"So last night, after I came home, my dad was with another pro. It left me really pissed so I hid in my room and started writing a song. When I finished, I heard something outside and I found my dad on the floor. The pro clonked him on the head so hard he needed stitches,"

"Whoa," Finn breathed. "Is he ok?"

Marceline leaned back against a cabinet, "Yeah, he's in the hospital…but I kind of wish he wasn't ok. I'd finally be free."

Finn shook his head. "You don't know what you're talking about, Marceline."

The young woman shivered when she heard Finn use her full first name. He continued,

"My parents died a while ago, but I miss them every day. I know your dad isn't the greatest, but at least he's around."

Marceline sighed, "Finn, I'm sorry. I know it's a sensitive subject. I sound selfish." She took a swig of her soda.

Finn reached over and grabbed her hand. He squeezed it, tightly. "Nah, Marcy. I understand. I just wanted to make sure you remembered that other people share your pain."

Marceline felt her eyes burn. She looked away.

Here she was, a grown woman, holding the hand of a young boy. She felt like a big loser. She was 20 years old, but she still lived with her father. She looked to a fifteen year old boy for advice.

"I'm a big loser." She repeated out loud.

Finn tsked, "No way, Marcy."

Marceline shook her head. "I'm moving out first thing tomorrow."

The boy raised his eyebrows. "Yeah? Congrats; where ya moving?"

She shrugged. "I don't know for sure." She suddenly laughed pitifully. "I got all the answers, don't I?"

Finn drank more of his soda before replying, "Marcy. What's this really about?"

She answered, "I don't know wh-"

Finn looked at her with pity, "Come on Marceline. You never come here just to tell me your dad was being a perv. Something else happened last night. What was it?"

Marcy stood suddenly, "You have to keep this a secret."

Finn set his drink down and raised his right hand. "I swear on my parents' graves."

Marceline turned and started pacing the room, twiddling her thumbs and nervously shaking.

"It's about me and Bonnibel."

* * *

Bonnibel stepped into her bedroom, confused.

She was outside of the Candy Kingdom with her friends one minute, the next she was hugging Marceline in the forest.

"What happened?" She asked herself.

She stripped herself of her clothing and pulled on a thin, tacky old T-shirt. She lay on her wide bed and sighed.

"Will you ever leave me alone, Marceline?" She asked no one in particular.

She wondered why she made such a massive impression on people all the time. What was it about her that seemed to drive people crazy?

She was just an average human being, nothing special.

She doubted her wealth and royal blood made any difference. Marceline knew her before all of that…and yet.

She suddenly remembered something. She jumped off of the bed and stuck her hand under the mattress. She pulled out a few pieces of paper and started to read them.

She smiled at the memories and started humming a song she'd heard a long time ago.

_"She's a candy sweet chick_

_But a sour puss princess_

_She and I would click_

_She wishes I'd speak less_

_She likes to watch me drown_

_And Lord I can't help it_

_She says things so profound_

_But the love card she dealt it_

_Honey we all come from somewhere_

_I know it hurts too much_

_When you ignore me it isn't fair_

_I can't believe you'd say such_

_Bitter words to me _

_I could be your best friend_

_But you choose not to see me_

_I wish you'd get bent_

_Maybe you'd develop feelings_

_Maybe you'd see that I care_

_I want your heart to start healing_

_I want you to like my love-filled stare"_

Her conscious memories of Marceline had no depth, no magnitude quite like her subconscious. She often had strange dreams about Marceline, Finn, and her childhood. Every night she had a nightmare or a disturbing dream revolving around Marceline and she would wake up screaming from them every night. It was tiresome.

Bonnibel suddenly questioned herself, "What is it in Marceline that keeps me drawn to her?"

A knock on her door sounded.

Bonnibel gasped, stashing her papers away in the drawer of her nightstand. She hid under the covers and called out,

"Come in!"

A young man in a suit and red gloves peered in. His deep red locks were swept back in a classy, bouffant style. He was ahandsome young man. "Madame Bonnibel? He inquired.

Bonni sat up in relief. "Oh, it's just you, Miles." She sighed, "What is it?"

The man smoothed his red hair down and shrugged, "May I speak freely, Madame?"

Bonnibel nodded, "You may."

Miles Papperment stepped in and closed the door behind him. He sighed and approached her bed, saying, "Madame Bonnibel, I saw you come in upset tonight. What happened?"

Bonni drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Oh, Miles, I'm so conflicted. I don't know how to feel about anything anymore."

Papperment edged closer to her. He smoothed his butler suit down and crossed his arms behind his back. "Would you care to talk about it?"

Bonni simply shrugged, "I'm…not even sure how to tell you! I just…."

Papperment sat on the edge of her bed and crossed one leg over the other like the dignified Irishman he was.

"Boy troubles, Madame?"

At this, Bonni let out a dry chuckle. After seeing Papperment's confused face, she laughed harder until her stomach threatened to burst.

After a few minutes of uproarious laughter, Bonni calmed down. As she wiped a few stray tears from her eyes, she explained,

"It's actually girl troubles."

Papperment blushed and sprang from the bed. "Madame, forgive me. I'm not sure I'm familiar with the female anatomy…"

Bonni giggled and waved her hand, "No, no. As in…there's a girl I can't seem to get my mind off of."

Papperment blew out a sigh of relief and took a seat back on the bed. "Has this female caused your emotional distress?"

"She's an old, old friend. We had some very…intimate times together, and I don't think either of us are over it."

The butler replied, 'Why do you think that?"

"Because she still tries to talk to me!" She exclaimed suddenly. "And I can't stop seeing her in my dreams!"

Papperment raised an eyebrow, "So, she approached you tonight?"

Bonni nodded in response. "Yes, Finn and I were walking out of the Candy Kingdom, and she hurried out and started saying things to me."

She crossed her legs Indian-style and continued, "She said, 'We need to talk'. I didn't want to leave Finn and frankly I didn't feel much like speaking to her, but she grabbed my arm and pulled me away. She begged me to talk."

Papperment asked, "Who ended the relationship?"

Bonni smirked, "It was barely a relationship. We just had feelings for each other but it was never physical. I broke off the friendship. I felt threatened by her. In most friendships, people are equal. She was getting to close, too affectionate with me, like she was a big sister or something. I didn't like it."

Papperment nodded, and inquired, "What is her orientation?"

"Sexual? I both thought we were straight til we became friends. I think she's bisexual….even though I'm the only girl she's ever been with."

The butler suddenly stood and said, "What is this girl's name?"

Bonni looked around and whispered, "Promise you won't tell? Her name is Marceline Abadeer."

* * *

**_Well then. You guys are gonna like Miles Papperment, he's gonna be a dark, angsty man. ;3_**


	4. Chapter 4

A pair of black fishing boots pounded against the muddy ground. The owner of said boots darted through the field as police dogs approached him. The delinquent was wearing a heavy black rain coat and had the hood over his face. He ran like the wind through the sludgy mess of mud and rain water. He heard the police dogs barks come dangerously close. He panted and saw a decline approaching; after all, he was running up a hill.

This was perfect. As he got to the top of the hill, he purposely slipped onto his back and slid down the muddy hill. Sure it was dirty, but no way could a bunch of dogs with short legs come down a hill as fast as he did.

He continued to run, and run, even as the sound of the dogs' barking grew fainter. Those idiot cops should never have trusted in dumb canines to do their work for them.

Finally, he stopped in an alley to catch his breathe. The rain was lighter in this part of town, so he decided to ditch the rain coat lest the cops find him.

He tossed the coat into a garbage can and walked into the plaza; looking around nervously to see if anyone recognized him. Pleased to see no reaction to his presence, the felon swung his legs onto the street and sauntered over to a café. He was hungry after all that running.

* * *

Marceline struggled to lug in the heavy cardboard box in her arms. She walked into the front door of her new apartment and set the box labeled, "Personals" onto the carpeting. Jake and Finn followed suit, Jake carrying two boxes and Finn carrying a microwave.

"Over here, boys." Marceline said quietly, gesturing to the spot beside her.

Jake placed the boxes on the floor and placed his hands on his hips. "Nice place," he admired, looking around the apartment.

Marceline shrugged, "Yeah, it's pretty cool. I got it from this guy I met at this café. I can't really pronounce his name but I know he's originally European. He seems like an awesome landlord."

The older brother rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't know Marcy. Seems shady to just suddenly meet a "landlord" that's willing to give you a spot in his building without checking your background information."

The woman chuckled, "Of course, he checked my information." She lied. He was actually coming over tonight to inspect her, the room, and talk about rent…over dinner.

Finn shrugged, "I think it's pretty cool of him. I would've done the same for you, Marcy."

Jake rolled his eyes, "You know nothing about the real world, bro."

The younger brother snorted, "I know plenty!"

Jake tugged at his younger brother's arms, "Alright, brother. Let's leave Marcy to get settled. Maybe we can have a house warming party later. Say bye to Marcy, Finn."

"Yo, I'm not a kid!" Finn shrieked, but he turned around and waved goofily at Marceline anyways. The Goth girl waved and laughed as the two men left her apartment.

Once the door was closed, she sighed and set her hands on her waist. She looked around. The room was great, it was small but roomy, clean, and running smooth. The walls were painted a nice grey color and the floor had a plush deep maroon tint. It was like the guy built this place specifically for her!

There was one bathroom with all its fixtures in place, even a complimentary bar of soap placed on the sink's mantle. She picked it up and sniffed it. She threw her head back and sighed, "Wild flowers, just like Mom." She thought.

At the memory, she put the bar back in its place and left the bathroom. She walked into what appeared to be the bed room. There was one lamp in there. She figured she'd have to buy a nice bed eventually, but for now, her sleeping bag would have to do.

She heard a knock on the door and approached it cautiously. No one but the man, Finn, and Jake knew she was here. As she turned to door knob, she just hoped it wasn't Bonni-

She gasped when she saw her father standing before her, holding a vase of flowers. He looked disheveled, like he'd slept in a pile of garbage, but the flowers looked vibrant and beautiful.

She didn't know whether to scream in his face or slam the door in his face. Hunson held up his hands. "Marceline, you're a grown up, now…and I can't make your decisions for you," he began, "But please accept my apology. You've moved out and on and all I can say, is I'm proud of you. Have a good life sweetie."

With that he thrust the vase into her arms and turned to leave. Marceline sputtered, "W-wait….Dad?"

Hunson threw his hands up, signaling that he didn't wish to speak anymore. He simply turned and left the building.

Marceline felt her bangs fall onto her face, her eyes burned. She sighed sadly. All these years, and he really did care.

She slammed the door behind her and set the vase of flowers onto her coffee table, right in the middle of the room, brightening it wonderfully. Her breath caught and she crossed her arms over her chest.

Why was her life like a soap opera?

* * *

"Eh, I've never been into metal music." Bonni said casually, looking through Finn and Jake's CD collection.

She crouched in front of the CD rack and thumbed through it, humming gently. Finn sat behind her, with his legs crossed.

"What do you like, then?" He asked. He thrust his hand into the bowl of gummy bears beside him.

She shrugged and sat back beside him. "I give up, you guys listen to so much metal. It's going to rot your brain."

Finn snorted and waved the crack away, "You mean 'ROCK' my brain! I love me some metal music!"

Bonni set one hand on the ground and leaned against it. "I don't hate all rock music. There are good rock artists out there. I like Paramore, mostly though."

Finn looked at her excitedly, "Hey, me too! Jake calls it 'weak rock' though. He doesn't like me playing it."

Bonni chuckled, "Oh, but he lets you listen to 'Lamb of God' and 'Black Veil Brides'?"

Finn shrugged and sang, _"Ignorance, it's your new best friend!"_

Bonni laughed, "Hey, love that song!"

She sang with him_, "'Ignorance is the best thing/that could've happened/any longer and I wouldn't have made it/it's not a war/ no it's not a rapture/ I'm just a person but you can't take it!'"_

Finn sighed and laughed, "So seriously, PB, what else do you listen to?"

Bonni squinted and looked upwards, like she was trying to think. "I like Taylor Swift."

Finn pretended to barf, "What? Her music is so totally girly!" Bonni pouted, "uh, hello? You're looking at a girl here!" Finn smiled, "Yeah, sorry, continue."

The girl continued to think some more, then spoke, "I really love Adele. Her music is so romantic."

Finn blushed. She liked romance; he decided to play with that. "Romance, huh? Uh, what else do you think is romantic?"

Bonni snickered, "It's so lame. I like peaceful and quiet nights curled up on the couch…I love getting flowers and having songs sang to me…I'm a hopeless romantic Finn."

She looked up at him through the fan of her dark lashes. Finn smiled nervously at her and placed a sweaty hand over hers.

Bonni looked at his hand over hers and gingerly removed her own. "Come on, Finn." She breathed softly, "Not like this."

Finn pulled his hand away, and felt his breathing go ragged. "Sorry." He uttered. He looked down ashamedly.

Bonni decided not to make him feel anymore awkward and stood. "Listen, I have to go somewhere. Maybe later we can grab a bite somewhere?"

Finn kept his head down and shrugged. "Yeah, sure." He whispered.

The girl sighed and started towards the door "Give Jake my best." She pet Beemo, who was sitting on the coffee table and then left.

"A hopeless romantic that friend zones…"Finn murmured to himself. He felt a tear roll down his cheek.

Beemo flew over to his master and squawked, "Friend zone! Friend zone!"

Finn put his head up against his knees and let the tears fall.

* * *

"Well, I'll be damned." Gumbald announced, taking a bite from his lunch.

Bonni had just walked into the dining room and sat beside him. "What's wrong?" She asked him.

Her uncle gestured to the large television on the wall. "Another dead body found in Wilson Field. They're claiming it a homicide, they found a perp sniffing around a few hours ago."

Bonni raised her eyebrows. "Oh, my. Did they get anything out of him?"

Gumbald snickered, "They couldn't even catch him!"

The butler, Miles, walked in with a bottle of pomegranate juice; Bonni's favorite juice. Bonni smiled at the sight of her juice coming toward her. "Thank you, Miles!"

He poured her the juice in a wine glass. "I just bought it this morning during one my rounds."

Bonni took a sip and scrunched up her nose at the tartness. "Well, you certainly know me well, Miles."

Miles then took to Gumbald, "Will that be all, sir?"

Gumbald nodded and smiled, "Nothing else, Miles. You can go on your break now."

The butler nodded, "Very good, sir."

Miles Papperment turned, and left the lavish room with a sneer. Oh how pompous was that dim-witted Gumbald! And his niece? Oh, she looked sweet, but she was a dark and annoying little fool. All she ever did was complain about her ex-girlfriend and her discontent over her own bisexuality.

_Like those were real problems. _

Miles was born in Dublin, the last of six children. His parents were harsh and strict, being the devout Catholics they were. This made him and his siblings unruly ingrates, but it never stopped Miles from working for his family's livelihood. His family was poor, and thus it required all the siblings and parents to work dirty jobs in order to put wine on the table.

Miles knew there were people out there who suffered more, so he never complained verbally. But it drove him mad to hear people complain about stupid problems like sex and stuff.

He went to his quarters and practically ripped off his butler suit. He fished through his closet and pulled on regular clothing and laced up his sneakers. He needed to go for a walk.

* * *

The doorbell rang early that morning. Finn answered, not caring that his hair was messy or that he was still in his pajamas. Mrs. Trunks stood there, smiling warmly with a pitcher in one hand.

"Why, good morning Finn! I decided to start school early today, starting with breakfast."

Finn tried to smile, "Hi, Mrs. Trunks, welcome."

Mrs. Trunks ambled through the door. Finn was about to close it before a young woman with bright, fiery red hair appeared and stepped in.

"Oh! Sorry." He stuttered, reopening the door.

The girl smiled in response. Mrs. Trunks chirped behind him, "That's another one of my students, Flair Pyre. I hope you don't mind having a joint learning session. She's in the same grade as you."

Finn stared at her. She was good looking. She had a shy smile on her round, ruddy face. Her eyes were big and brown and smiling all on their own. She was holding a plate of something wrapped in tin foil.

"What's that?" He asked.

Flair answered, "Some flapjacks. Mrs. Trunks made them." She entered the kitchen with the latter and placed them on the table.

Finn noticed she had a full, curvy figure. She definitely wasn't fat, thought, just…well developed. Her long red hair looked like a flame; it draped over her shoulders neatly and fell across her face, shadowing her features.

Without thinking, Finn reached over and removed her hair from her face. "That's better." He muttered.

Flair raised an eyebrow at him. Finn felt his face flush and he quickly turned to Mrs. Trunks. "So," he laughed nervously, "When are we gonna chow down?"

Mrs. Trunks grinned and set a few plates on the table. "Right, now if you'd like!" She looked around, "Is Jake here, Finn?"

Finn took a seat at the table. As he slid a pancake onto his plate he replied, "Still sleeping, I think. Today's his day off."

Mrs. Trunks 'tsked' in response. "As Ben Franklin always said, the early bird catches the worm.'" She stepped into the hallway and called, "Jake, sweetie! It's Mrs. Trunks. Get your tushy down here for some breakfast!"

A groan came in response and Jake appeared in front of the stair well. He was in his robe and his curls were in a tangle. "Yes, ma'am."

Soon, Finn and Flair sat at a now clean kitchen table, books open in front of them. Mrs. Trunks was having them answer science questions while she baked pies.

Finn stared at his notebook, clueless. He couldn't understand a word of biology. He pondered over whether he should ask Flair. She looked productive.

"Hey," he whispered, "Do you get number six?"

Flair shrugged, still writing. "Not there yet." She answered.

Finn looked back at his book. "Organic chemistry sucks glob." He groaned.

The girl giggled in response. Finn smiled, she thought he was funny!

Flair whispered back to him, "I'd rather be shot with a paintball gun."

He flinched, "ooh, doesn't that, like, really hurt?"

She nodded, "Oh, my glob, yes! I went paintballing once and I came back, like, legit bruised!"

The young boy flinched again, "Whoa! That's why I stick to laser tag."

She shook her head, "nah, I like the suspense and the 'being hunted' feeling. It gives me a bigger thrill."

Finn leaned back, "I do like being thrilled."

Flair smiled, picking up her notebook, "You asked for number six?"

* * *

**"Wine on the table" Hurrhurr drunken Irish joke. Sorry I'm a total douche sometimes. lol do you get the "Flair Pyre" thing? Same initials as "Flame Princess". I'm so intelligent, you guise! Just kidding, I'm a genius, mother lovers. So...uhh... review my minions. And uh, you will get...cookies in return.**


	5. Chapter 5

Marceline hummed to herself as she applied her mascara very carefully. She made sure to use her good makeup for tonight- Milosz was coming over.

Milosz Przemysl, her landlord, had just moved her into her new apartment. They'd met just a few days ago in a café where he noticed her sitting alone. When he approached her, Marceline was at first put off by his matted red hair and his muddy boots-but then they got talking.

He was very kind, very understanding, and generous. She'd told him she was looking for an apartment and he informed her with exuberance that he'd just opened up a new one for rent.

Marceline felt her spirits soar when she heard those words. She eagerly took the place. Milosz, being as understanding as he was, figured they could talk details over dinner at her new house.

Most people would be afraid of inviting some strange, Eastern European man to their home, one they barely knew anything about, but not Marceline. Marceline knew kickboxing, she had mace in her pocket, and a fully loaded rifle under her brand new couch.

She was prepared.

A knock on the door sounded and Marceline swung it open with vigor. She smiled widely at the handsome, smirking gentleman before her. The landlord grinned at the slim, young woman in front of him. He was wearing a newly tailored blue suit, a maroon bow tie, and his shiniest wing tips. He was holding a bouquet of carnations-cream with red tips- and a cake caddy. He greeted her with an accented, "Hello, dear!"

Marceline felt her face flush and she stepped to the side, "Come in, Milosz!"

He stepped in cautiously, looking around. "You've made the room yours, I see!"

Marceline blushed, yes she did. She'd bought black leather couches, a glass coffee table, a Victorian style lamp, and her guitar sat alone in the corner in its case.

She hung up a painting of the Virgin Mary wearing a black hood, and holding an empty cradle in the middle of the wall.

Milosz stared at the painting for a long time before commenting, "I am Catholic."

Marceline's eyes widened, and she sputtered, "Oh, I hope you don't find that offensive! It's not meant to be!"

Milosz glanced back at the painting before gazing at Marceline. He flashed her a very crooked smile and said, "Not at all. I love the depiction of the Virgin Mary in a dark tone. It's fitting for a teenage mother who was suffered a harsh life, and then having her son taken so soon."

The young woman smiled and sighed in relief.

Milosz let his gaze fall from Marceline's prettily made up face and his eyes roamed the rest of her. Her long black hair was tied to the side and fell over her shoulder. Her neck and shoulders were bare, her dress in a cut-up sweetheart bodice, a purple belt, and striped leggings. Her dress was form-fitting, short, and showed off a very delectable waist.

Marceline felt strangely uncomfortable, and yet, very attracted to have this man's grey eyes roam over her body. She cleared her throat and gestured to the table in the kitchen.

"Dinner is ready."

* * *

The two were just finishing their slices of cake for dessert when Milosz leaned over to his side and pulled a document from his jacket.

He pressed it onto the table and whipped out a pen.

"Ok, now is the time for profession." He slid the two forward to Marceline, "Read carefully and sign on the dotted lines, please."

Marceline picked up the papers and studied the document. After a couple of minutes reading and rereading the paragraphs, she deemed it good enough and penned her signature,

"Marceline Abadeer."

Milosz grinned and swept back the document from her, stuffing it back into his jacket.

"You are a lovely young woman, Marceline." He complimented.

Marceline smiled and blushed, "And you clean up pretty well yourself." She said.

Milosz leaned back in his chair, "You mean on Tuesday? Yes, I wasn't exactly dressed up to par, as they say."

Marceline asked, forking her slice of cake, "Where are you from?"

"Poland," Milosz replied. "I moved here last year after my divorce and bought this apartment. I put out all the apartments to rent. It's good work, everyone is good with their money and they keep their homes clean."

"Seems like things are working out for you pretty well." Marceline replied. Milosz shrugged, "Yes, I suppose. What is your story, then, _Ms. Abadeer?"_

Marceline smiled weakly and pulled leaned back, away from Milosz. "I don't really want to talk about it."

Milosz ushered, "Oh, you're my tenant. I should know a few things about you, at least tell me where you work."

Marceline sighed, "I work at the Candy Kingdom during the early morning and late night shifts, when the place becomes a coffee place for hipsters and couples."

Milosz smirked, "What kind of music do you like?" he asked, not caring that it had nothing to do with the last inquiry.

The girl responded, "One Republic, Acceptance, Linkin Park, 3 Doors Down….anything where rock, pop and alternative mix. I even make my own music," she gestured to her bass, "What about you?"

The man answered, "Anything, really. I am not binded by any genres of music. I will listen to anything you play around me."

Marceline smiled, "That's great. I have a friend like that, his name is Finn. He loves metal music, but he'll listen to anything at any time. He was playing Cindy Lauper from my lap top once, and it was so funny 'cause he started dancing to it- the kid's like, fifteen!"

Milosz grinned and asked, "Where do you acquire such young and…energetic friends? Do you go to college?"

Marceline shrugged and said, "I took a few classes in performing arts and music, not much else. But I met Finn through his brother Jake. Jake works with my father."

Milosz was suddenly intrigued, "What does your father do?"

The woman answered sheepishly, "Oh, he works as a file clerk at Gumm Inc."

Milosz raised his eyebrows and repeated, "Gumm Inc.? As in, Gumbald Gumm?"

Marceline nodded, "Yep."

Milosz hummed to himself, "I heard he has a beautiful niece." He mused.

The girl held back a growl but was not so good at hiding her sneer. Milosz noticed this and chuckled. "You don't like here? You don't know her, do you?"

Marceline scoffed as she stood, brashly sweeping past him. She walked over to the coffee machine and began filling the filter. "Oh, I know her. She's not as special and great as people think she is."

Milosz muttered, "I knew it, bitter, just like her counterpart."

Marceline turned around. "Excuse me?"

The man shook his head, waving it away, "Oh, nothing."

* * *

Bonni stepped into the corridor fearfully. The hallway was dark, shadowy, and too quiet. Bonni never told anyone but she had a huge fear of the dark. She usually never left the bed in the middle of the night, but when she ran the bell that would potentially wake up Miles, no one showed up.

She figured since Miles wasn't answering her calls, she'd have to grab a cup of milk herself.

She stuck to one side of the hallway, her right, and walked with her arms crossed over her chest.

She was afraid of the dark. _Very afraid._ She always felt like a psycho murderer would be standing behind her in the shadows, or that Slenderman was watching her through her window, or that Richard Simmons was under her bed.

She shivered suddenly. Richard Simmons gave her the _freaking creeps. _

About halfway down to the kitchen, she heard the shuffling of feet behind her. She gasped and stopped dead in her tracks.

The shuffling got louder, as it came dangerously closer.

Bonni felt her breath become heavy, her heart pumped wildly in her chest, until it threatened to burst from her chest. She held back a scream when she could feel the presence of someone come up behind her.

She felt a hot breath on her back, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She cursed her legs. She couldn't pick one leg up to save her life, literally. She wanted to run, but she was frozen.

Then she heard it, "Why so serious?"

Finally, she was able to scream. A bloodcurdling shout erupted from her diaphragm, but she was automatically hushed when a hand closed over her mouth and she was turned around. As she was yanked back, she looked up.

There was Miles, holding a small lamp in one hand, and holding her face with the other.

Bonni felt her insides melt with relief when she saw him, so much that she almost collapsed against him.

"Whoa, there." Miles said in his accent. He held her up in one strong arm. "What's the matter with you, Ms. Bonnibel?"

Bonni swept some sweat from her face and gazed up at Miles. He was so attractive….so…helpful. Miles came to work at the estate years ago, but she never paid much attention to him until she actually found a use for a butler. She liked having a man around, besides her uncle. Someone to talk to, someone to make her feel good. Uncle Gumbald was nothing but a father figure who pushed her to exceed in school, but not in life.

She wanted Miles to do that for her.

She hugged him, "Oh, Miles. I thought you were someone else. Oh, thank glob it's just you." She sighed heavily against him and buried her face into his chest.

She noticed he was in a suit. For a second, she thought about how weird it was that he was still wearing a suit at midnight, but she didn't let it bother her.

Miles wrapped an arm around her, despite his discomfort, and pulled her forward. "Let's see what you need."

* * *

(Next Day)

Flair and Finn sat in Finn's room giggling as they thumbed through various magazines.

The red head pointed a picture of one TV personality and made a face, "Ugh, what the Heck is wrong with her? She looks like she got trampled by a cow with the plague!"

Finn threw his head back, laughing uproariously. Flair was hilarious! She was always making fun of over the top celebrities and musicians. She had a great taste in music-she loved metal like him, and she was so smart! She always helped him with his homework when she came over.

They'd grown close in the short days they'd known each other. Finn started to like her quite a lot.

Flair grew up in a small town in Canada before moving here. Last year, her mother died of cancer and she was left to watch over her diabetic father. It was hard for Flair to maintain close relationships with anyone, anyone except Mrs. Trunks and Finn. She seemed to like Finn despite the fact that he was extremely dorky, had slightly crooked teeth, and didn't know how to talk to girls.

There was some sort of magnetic attraction Finn felt towards Flair. Maybe he was really starting to fall for her…

Flair called his name, "Finn!"

Finn snapped out of his day dream to find Flair getting up and pulling her back pack over her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" He asked, alarmed.

She smiled, "Home, I just said, 'my dad called'. I have to go home."

"Oh." Finn said, slightly disappointed.

"We still up for guitar hero at my place?" Flair grinned.

Finn stood to give her a hug, "Hell yeah."

Flair hugged back warmly, "Bye Finn." She turned and walked away with a flick of her brightly color hair.

Finn sighed when she left the room. She was so pretty. For a fifteen year old, she had an awesome figure; her breasts popped out against her shirt and made her tiny waist look even tinier. Her hair was chopped and her freckles were sprinkled across her nose ever so nicely. Finn didn't know it for sure, but he was pretty sure he was falling in love already.

He hoped his previous friendship with Bonni wouldn't affect his new friendship with Flair. He had quickly gotten over Bonni the day he met the red head. The only problem was, if Bonni and Flair ever met,_ he _would be stuck in the awkward position of keeping their conversations off the topic of dating.

Just then Jake burst through the room. "Dude!" He shrieked.

Finn flinched, "What?"

Jake responded by hurrying around the room, picking up random articles of clothing.

Finn grabbed him by the shoulders and smacked him across the face. "What's wrong, bro?"

The older brother started to tug at his hair. "Raini's in the hospital. I'm going there now, just got to drop by her place and grab some off her clothes."

Finn's jaw dropped, "The hospital? Why? Is she okay?"

Jake blew out an exasperated sigh. He answered, "I don't know. But she was just at Bonni's, and she collapsed. Bonni and her Uncle are there now. You stay home, I'm calling Mrs. Trunks."

Finn's jaw dropped again. "What?" He whined, "I don't want a babysitter! I'm 15!"

Jake glared daggers at his younger brother, "Mrs. Trunks is coming to watch over you. I expect you to be in bed by midnight." He ordered.

Finn glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 9:43 pm. He sighed, and his shoulders went slack. _"Fine." _He muttered.

Jake set a hand on his shoulder, "Sorry, kid. It's times like this I wasn't so much like Dad, but if something happened to you I don't know what I would do!"

Then he turned around and sprinted out of the room, shouting, "I'm coming Raini!"

Finn flopped onto his bed and grunted angrily. He liked Raini a lot, she was really sweet and she spoiled him constantly. He just didn't know why Jake had to treat him like a child when it came to her. He wasn't that much a child in Raini's eyes, was he?

* * *

Two hours later, after eating half the apple pie Mrs. Trunks brought him, Finn's cell phone began ringing.

Mrs. Trunks, who was cleaning something in kitchen, called, "Finn, honey, you better answer that, it could be your brother!"

He mumbled through a mouthful of pie, "Yes, Mrs. Trunks!" He picked up the phone.

"Hello? Yeah, hey Jake. Everything's fi-…what's wrong with your voice? Dude, calm down, what's wrong?"

Mrs. Trunks was still in the kitchen when she heard Finn choking. She rushed out into the sitting room. "Finn?"

He was on the couch, mouth open, hand closed over throat. He was coughing violently.

"Oh honey!" She clapped him on the back a few times. When he finally calmed down, he stared atr her with bleary eyes. He whispered,

"Raini's…pregnant."

* * *

**Hehe, yeah. Ok I wrote this listening to a lot of Arabic music. Nancy Ajram, you are a goddess of song. And then I listened to Disney songs in Arabic too. Go the Distance, Part of Your World, Colors of the Wind, and Can You Feel The Love Tonight are all favorites of mine. Arabic has such a way of glamorising and romanticising things. These songs got 90% more touching in Arabic. Go listen to them!**

**Regarding the story. Til next time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**It took me forever to get to this freakin' story. I love it so much, but GOSH all the work that I have to exert...**

"Jake, I'm fine, stop it!" Raini complained as her fiancé propped pillows under her ankles. Raini was sitting on the couch with her legs up against the coffee table. Jake set the fluffiest pillows he could find underneath her; he just wanted to make sure she was comfortable.

Raini announced her pregnancy three months ago; a week after her announcement Jake popped her the big question. It was a glorious time for her; Jake was being extra sensitive and sweet all for her and the baby's sake. Maybe a little too much though.

Jake answered, "Baby, I want to make sure you're ok. Don't want to distress the kid."

Raini sighed, rubbing her stomach. There was no protruding belly yet, she was only four months along. She replied, "Honey, it's not even a bay yet, it's barely a fetus."

Jake rolled his eyes, shooting back, "We were all fetuses at one point. Please don't start this conversation with me."

His fiancée shook her head saying, "All I'm saying is that you don't need to worry. When I'm as bloated as a whale, then I welcome the coddling."

Jake ruffled her hair with a softened look on his face, "You deserve the coddling. There isn't anyone else in the world I'd rather have carrying my kid."

With that, he kissed the top of her head and left the room.

Suddenly, Beemo flew onto one of her feet, ruffled his blue feathers, and squawked, "New mom!"

As she settled back onto the couch and rubbed her lower abdomen lovingly, she thought, "I could get used to this."

* * *

Flair was sitting in her bedroom, putting the finishing touches on her outfit. She plucked a charm bracelet from the jewelry hanger on her dresser and wrapped it around her wrist. Her grandmother had given her the sterling silver ornament; it was adorned with mini skulls and bowties.

Her granny had great taste.

She stepped back and checked herself one more time. Hair: blow dried. Dress: Mid-thigh length and bright blue, checkered design and long sleeved. Shoes: black high-tops. Jewelry: Charm bracelet and thumb ring. She felt pretty, and this wasn't something she felt often.

She tried to hold in her excitement when her cell phone rang. She practically dove onto her bed and dug through the various layers of clothes, sheets, and magazines. Finally she picked up, "Hi Finn!"

She hurried down the stairs and past her father, who was sprawled on the couch. She grabbed the keys to the house and called to him, "Dad, I'm going to a party with some friends, I'm locking the door."

Her father answered with a soft sigh. She replied, "Don't be such a grump. Go to bed and don't forget to take your insulin."

After locking the door behind her, she walked over to the curb and saw approaching headlights. She tried, again, to contain her excitement as she awaited the car. As it pulled up, the door opened and Finn's head popped out.

"Hey Flair, ready to go?" He exclaimed.

She responded by giggling and plopping onto the seat next to him.

They hugged awkwardly. Jake and Raini, sitting up front greeted her with smiles and warm "hellos".

During the car ride, while Jake and Raini quietly flirted, Flair asked questions about the party.

"So how is this Marceline? Is she nice? Will she care that I'm at her house warming party?"

Finn shook his head and replied, "No, way Flair. I think she'll love you."

Flair prodded, "Didn't she move into her apartment months ago?"

The boy shrugged, "Yeah, but we've all been kind of busy lately. She said she still had to finalize things with her land lord anyways."

Flair responded with a sigh and settled her head on Finn's shoulder. Finn felt his face flush and he stiffened. He heard Jake cleared his throat and he looked into the rearview mirror; he was met with a wink from his older brother.

Finn smirked.

* * *

Marceline held up her wine glass and tapped her nails against it to create a mock-clacking sound.

"Everyone…" She called, "Thanks for coming to the party and pretending to be my friends."

The room was filled with uproarious laughter and clever retorts. The adults in the room: Marceline, Jake, , and a couple others all took swigs of their wine (sans the pregnant Raini, of course) before Marceline continued.

"I've been through a lot in my short twenty years on this earthly plane, but I've got to say, you guys made it worthwhile. And of course, I wouldn't have been able to throw this house warming party without this apartment, courtesy of the totally awesome Milosz."

She gestured to her landlord, and now close friend, with her glass and he flashed her one deliciously flirty smile in return.

Finn, holding a soda can wrapped in paper, studied Milosz. The man seemed very familiar. He had very red hair, a slightly crooked nose, a gap between his teeth, and pointy ears. He'd seen many of these features before.

He started to get up, intending on questioning him, when Marceline plugged in her iPod and set the volume way up. "Grab a dance partner!" She declared.

Finn felt a tug on his arm and spun around to find Flair latched onto his forearm. She had a happy, goofy smile on her freckled face.

He teased, "You didn't drink any wine did you?"

She wrapped her arms around him, and snorted, "I don't need to act drunk to convey the fact that I want to dance with you."

Finn blushed and took hold of her waist. They danced a bit slower than anyone else. Music from Bruno Mars blasted from Marceline's iPod. Finn felt his chest swell from sheer content. His crush was leaning against him and giving him a smoky stare; maybe it would finally become official.

He glanced at Marceline; she was sidling up to Milosz, who was whispering something into her ear, something that made her laugh.

He watched her throw her head back, exposing her long white neck. He watched Milosz dive in for the kill; he started to nip at Marceline's skin.

Finn watched worriedly. Marceline never got this serious with anybody, what was Milosz's angle? His subconscious told him to just let it be, to let Marceline have fun…but another part of him was already suspicious of Milosz and now his actions led Finn to not trust him at all.

"Finn?" Flair's voice snapped him back into reality. "Finn, what's up?" She asked, looking and sounding genuinely concerned.

The boy looked down at Flair and sighed. He didn't want her to think that he was too caught up in Marceline's business, she wouldn't understand. He twirled her away and told her, "Nothing."

Flair didn't believe him. She knew when Finn was preoccupied, his mouth would curve into a sneer and his jaw would clench…he was thinking _hard._ Now it was Flair's turn to look at Marceline.

She was making out with that red head from earlier, but she didn't understand why that bothered Finn so much. Unless…

She stopped swaying with Finn and jerked away from him. "Do you have a thing for her?" She demanded suddenly.

Finn raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You mean Marceline," he asked, "No, it's not that!"

Flair's face darkened, _"Then what?" _She seethed.

Finn had never seen this side of Flair before. She looked angry, totally peeved, and extremely jealous. He didn't know why, but at the thought h cracked a smile.

This angered her even more, "What's so funny?" She exclaimed.

Finn put up his hands as a gesture of peace, "Flair, it's just…I didn't know you were the jealous type. And don't worry about it, Marceline and I are friends. I'm just worried about her." He was sure not to use Marceline's nickname in front of Flair. He didn't want her exploding.

He reached for her again and this time, Flair allowed him to hold her, but they didn't dance.

Flair snuck another glance at the party host; she was eagerly sucking face with Milosz now. She didn't think Finn had anything to worry about.

Jake and Raini were already out the door by the time it hit midnight. Finn gingerly asked Flair to follow them to the car. She huffed and puffed, but she relented and reluctantly left him to Marceline.

Marceline was picking up bottles and a few mangled plastic cups. As she tossed them in a black plastic bag, Finn asked her, "So, are you and Milosz going out now?"

Marceline looked up, dropping the bag. "What do you care, Finn?" She had an eyebrow raised.

The boy shrugged, "Nothing!" He said nervously, "I swear, I just want to know you're in good hands."

The Goth smiled, "Oh Finn. He's a great guy, he's really dedicated and confident and very compassionate. To answer your question: yes, we're a couple now."

Finn nodded in response, cautiously. "I know this is going to sound weird," he said, "but I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."

Marceline shrugged and continued to pick up the garbage, "Maybe while you were out at the mall or something, Finn. Or maybe you saw someone who looks like him."

Finn shook his head, now exasperated, "No, Marcy, I know I've seen him before! Maybe around the Gumm Inc. building, or maybe at…Bonni's house?" Now he was just thinking out loud.

Marceline tensed at the sound of her ex's name. "Bonni's house? Gumm Inc.? Do you hear yourself Finn? Ugh, I never expected you of all people to get jealous. You have a girl for your own, stop stepping into my life when you're not invited. Please go." She growled.

Finn was genuinely hurt by her outburst. "I didn't mean anything about it." He murmured before trudging out of the building.

* * *

The car ride was quiet. Jake was sleeping in the passenger seat. Raini was driving, being the designated and responsible driver she was. Whenever they stopped at a red light, Raini would reach over and position Jake's head upright so he wouldn't snore. Finn found it unusually annoying. It never bothered him before; the snoring, Raini's incessant attempts at making Jake sit up straight, but now every little thing irked him.

Just one question in Marceline's direction and his night was ruined. Not to mention Flair was peeved still, she was plastered against the car door, edged away from Finn. She seemed sick of them all too.

Finn sighed, thinking to himself, "Maybe today was just a bad day, everyone's a little uncomfortable. Things will be better in the morning."

His subconscious answered, "You better hope so."

* * *

Bonni and her uncle Gumm sat in the dining room, enjoying their breakfast, when their butler slogged into the room.

"Miles Papperment," Gumm chuckled, "You look like you partied hard last night!"

Miles forced a smirk on his tired face. "I enjoyed my day off, sir." He started pouring tea for the older gentleman.

Gumm continued, "But it doesn't look like you've gotten lucky with the ladies, otherwise you'd have a spring in your step." He teased, picking up his tea cup and blowing the steam away.

The butler's smile tightened, "That's if I like her, sir." He retorted.

Gumm and Miles shared a bout of manly laughter. Meanwhile, Bonni stared at him. His hair was disheveled and flat, his eyes red, and he sounded (and smelled) like he was suffering from a hangover.

When Miles reached her and asked if she desired anything in particular. She only turned away and snubbed him coldly.

Unlike the reaction she desired him to have, he only shrugged and excused himself from the room.

As he left, he thought to himself, "Bitter_. A lot_ like her counterpart."

* * *

**ooohh, recognize that? If not, ya'll gotta reread the previous chapters. I know the chapter is a bit short, but to be honest, I'm burnt out of ideas for the time being. Til next time, my minions. I bid you adieu...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ta-da! New chapter, mostly one that explains things better. Short, but sweet. R & R my beloved minions.**

Bonni propped her chin against her palm, which was propped up by her elbow, which sat on her plush bed. Her purple-tinted eyes glazed over the page again. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but the scientific terminology was too much to bear. She'd been staring at the same page for over six minutes, trying to read that same sentence over and over.

Her eyes started to water as she was attacked by another jaw-cracking yawn. She glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. She sighed when she realized that it was forty minutes past 1 AM. She had the biggest final exam of her life tomorrow and almost all day she spent time daydreaming and drifting off. Her entire week was spent cramming for her exams. She'd flown through her botany and chemistry exams; they were easy as pie. But this? This was _too_ much.

Bonni's eyes overflowed with yawn-induced tears and she realized that maybe if she got some sleep, perhaps tomorrow's exam would come easier to her. She was too damn tired to study neurological science anymore.

She cleared her books and materials to the farthest edges of the bed, and slid under the covers. _Oh, sweet slumber_, she muttered to herself. She willfully let her eyelids drift down. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

"Finn!" Mrs. Trunks called from her place at the sink, "If I see you peerin' at Flair's paper again I will whip your freckly bottom with a switch! Understood?"

Finn blushed and recoiled from Flair's exam paper. Flair's hand flew up to her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle.

Finn answered Mrs. Trunks, "Yes, ma'am."

Flair murmured quietly, "Freckly bottom." Finn rolled his eyes and sighed.

He looked back down at his test. It was the end of the school year, naturally it was about time Finn and Flair took their final exams. To get enough credits, Flair and Finn both had to take seven subjects throughout each week. In order to save time, and Mrs. Trunks' money, they took joint exams from the same test. They each answered on their own scan-tron, a paper with empty circles required to be filled in where the correct answer should be. It was a bit annoying, for while Finn was lagging behind, Flair was waiting to turn to the next page.

Finn tried to look over at Flair's scan-tron to buy some time. He knew Flair was a very smart girl, and if he could sneak some of her answers onto his test then maybe he could catch up.

Sadly, Mrs. Trunks seemed to have eyes on the back of her head. She saw him peering over at Flair's exam and called him out.

Well, at least she wasn't failing him.

Bonni slammed the door shut. She rubbed her eyes and yearned to be in bed. She slowly trudged up the stairs to the second floor. On her way, she ran into Miles. Normally, she would gaze at him and giggle and flirt but she was exhausted.

Miles nodded to her, "Ms. Bonnibel. Do you need something?" He asked.

Bonni looked at him, seeing a pair of mud-encrusted fishing boots in his arms. She wanted to ask but by God she needed some rest.

She answered, "No, no. I've been up since six in the morning, I just want some sleep. Tell Uncle Gumm I'm here, will you?"

Miles nodded and turned away. He immediately let the plastered grin on his face fall. _Poor little gum girl, _he thought. _Always so perky and chirpy. No wonder Marceline hates here._

By the time Miles had gotten to Marceline's apartment, he'd changed into his street clothing; consisting of a flannel shirt and khakis, and cleaned up his fishing boots.

He hid them behind his back and fished a set of keys from his pocket. Thankfully, being the owner of this room, he had an extra set of keys for it. He could pop in on Marceline at any time. He could see if she were betraying him, plotting against him…

He knew he was paranoid. He'd left Ireland years ago and went flat broke trying to run a beer business with another Irishman. Apparently, Americans didn't like Irish beer as much as they used to. He'd been running out of ideas and his home was foreclosed, and then he found the answer. A Polish man ran into him in the streets, a man named Milosz; he owned several buildings out in the city. He was a real business man, very rich and classy. Miles, after running out of reasonable ideas, did the unthinkable.

He stole Milosz's identity. It was going great at first, he would cash in every account Milosz had and hoarded everything he bought into one closet. But then, he realized he needed a cover. What better way to cover up your tracks than by working as a butler at the Gumm estate? He moved in quietly and slowly. Each week, he'd go back to his old apartment and bring more of his possessions back to the estate. They were small things, trinkets and portraits and clothing. He praised himself; no one ever noticed a thing.

But then there was a problem. Milosz caught wind of Miles's schemes and froze all his assets. Miles would go broke if he didn't do something. He knew the police would come after him; the IRS would have his head, until he gave them Milosz's.

After whacking Milosz and seizing everything he owned, he sanded the man's face off so they couldn't identify him. He left the man's body in a forest near the meadow and ran for his life.

Technically, one could say Miles was running from the police. He was technically a murderer and a thief, but that didn't mean he couldn't be romantic.

He met Marceline in a diner. She was sitting at the counter, looking lonely, when he sat beside her. He knew who she was. He recognized her from a picture Bonni kept hidden away in her closet. The day he'd asked Bonni about her ex she showed him the picture.

She was a beautiful, mouth-watering specimen. Miles knew if he put on a rich, tough front for her that she'd be putty in his hands. So he introduced himself as the man he murdered.

Marceline swung open the door and immediately a smile appeared. _Milosz _grinned down at her.

"You look flawless." He complimented, taking her by the chin. He planted a passionate smooch on her lips.

Marceline pulled away with a chuckle, and tugged at her chest. "I'm in a towel. I just finished in the shower."

Milosz tugged at her arm and pulled her close. "I_ need_ you. Soon." He whispered hotly into her neck.

Marceline sighed and closed her eyes. The way he spoke got her limper than a dead flower. She snapped her legs together and kissed his cheek. "Soon, I promise." She apologized, "I'm sorry Milosz, but I have to ask, what are you doing here?"

Milosz grinned and responded cheekily, "What? I can't see my favorite tenant in the whole building?"

Marceline had a clever response for him when she noticed the fishing boots in his other arm.

"What are those?" She asked.

Milosz shrugged, looking down at them. "These?" He asked innocently. "These are boots for working at the docks, darling."

Marceline placed a hand on one hip and kept the other clutched to the towel. "Fishing boots?"

Milosz shrugged again, "Yes." He answered, "I might take you cod fishing one day. It will be fun."

The young woman raised an eyebrow. "So you…bought me these?" She asked.

Milosz nodded and thrust them towards her. Wanting to spare his feelings, Marceline didn't tell him that she hated codfish.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hey, everyone. How's life been treating you? Don't tell me, I don't want to know. Kidding! Anyways, I'm undeniably sorry about the long wait. I've been so caught up in trying to publish my Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra fictions so I couldn't update this one. _**

**_Let me just say, I fell in love with the latest episode of Adventure Time. There were just so many Simon and Marcy feels! And I love love LOVE Simon. I mean, Ice King is cool but he was cooler before he went cuckoo bananas. _**

**_So, in honor of the episode, here is a chapter dedicated to Marceline's relationship with Simon. And I know in this story, I made him a criminal and a pedophile, but don't be so harsh on him. As you know, Simon is crazy. He's literally going nuts, so he really had no idea he was doing what he did to Marcy. This chapter will be littered with feels, you might even cry if you actually have emotions. So if you are a robot or Hitler, please exit this window._**

**_There are different tenses and times that this takes place in . So pay attention._**

_Anything italicized like this took place when Marceline was 12 years old._

Anything regular like this takes place in the present, while Marceline is 20.

**Anything bold like this takes place in the near future; Marceline will be the same age. **

* * *

_Her hands would not stop trembling. Her voice was almost inaudible as she whispered into the microphone. Her eyes roamed the audience in front of her._

_There was Dad sitting in the front seat. He had a scowl on his face._

_There was Simon, in an orange jumpsuit, staring blankly at her. He sat across the room, behind a big table. His beard was growing longer, she noted. A chubby woman in a pantsuit sat next to him. She stared too._

_There was a group of twelve people sitting diagonally from her, lined up in two rows. They were listening to her. They were judging her._

_She looked up at the lanky, beak-nosed man glaring at her. He was standing in front of her podium, his hands on the wooden ledge. _

_"Speak up." He snapped._

_Her voice was weak, but Dad's eyes and the beak-nosed man's eyes and the group's eyes all said, _Speak up, let us hear you.

_And she did. She spoke and spent every minute of the rest of her life regretting it._

* * *

A loud buzz sounded behind Marceline as an officer pulled the iron barred door back. She offered him a smile before walking in. She heard the door slam back behind her.

Her heart and stomach took turns doing somersaults as she approached the visiting room.

When she entered the room, she turned to another officer, an overly obese one, and said, "Number 24601, please."

She winced at her own words. She hated to call him by his prison number. This wasn't what he deserved.

He answered with a gruff, angry grunt and a nod before he led her to a chair facing a plastic window. There was a phone attached to one side. She pulled the chair back and was surprised by the rusty creaking sound it made.

She planted herself in the seat and watched the obese officer waddle into a separate room. Moments later, he strolled back out dragging an inmate by the scruff. Marceline gasped at the man's stark white beard, his pale and gaunt face, and his cracked blue glasses.

The inmate was pushed onto the chair across Marceline, behind the plastic window.

They stared at each other for what felt like days until she plucked the phone from its cradle. He gingerly mimicked her movements. Then her voice sounded, so soft, like all those years ago. Only audible to him.

"How long has it been, Simon?" She asked, hands trembling again.

He blinked his big blue eyes at her. "Eight years, twenty months, fourteen days, and six seconds, but who's counting?"

Marceline sighed, and stated, "I've missed you."

Simon scratched his beard, and then rubbed his eyes. "You aren't my fiancée." He said in his raspy voice. His voice was damaged, much higher and cracked than it used to be. _What did I do to you?_ Marceline longed to ask.

The girl nodded, "Yeah, I know. I'm Marcy, remember?"

His eyes were closed for a long time. His head was cradled against the phone and his breathing was shallow. Marceline felt her eyes welling with tears. He looked like he was sleeping. She was about to put the phone down when his eyes fluttered open again and he whispered,

"Yes, Marcy. I remember you."

* * *

_Now she was sitting with Dad and the beak-nosed man in front of the judge. He was saying something to the group of twelve people. He asked them something and one man out of them stood. He looked down at a paper._

_Then he said the word that Marceline would regret for the rest for her life._

_"…Guilty."_

_Her eyes went wide as Dad and the beak-nosed man shouted in relief and hugged and shook hands. She turned her head to Simon. The lady with him looked sad and she patted his shoulder._

_She watched in horror as two officers grabbed him by his skinny arms and jostled him around, yanking him to the doors. She screamed, "No! SIMON!"_

_As Dad held her down, Simon gazed at her and shouted, "Let me protect her! Marcy! She needs protection! Please!"_

_Marceline wailed at the sight of the officers wrenching him around like a rag doll. They dragged him outside, never to be seen again._

_Her cheeks were wet with tears; her voice was hoarse from crying. Even with her sobbing, she could hear the beak-nosed man whisper something to Dad._

_"Stockholm Syndrome."_

* * *

Marceline held her hand up the plastic and muttered into the phone, "It's my doing. I let this happen."

Simon slowly, carefully settled his palm against the window, against her skin. He closed his eyes and let the smallest of smiles form on his chapped lips. "You're a good girl. Always doing what you're told. You only did the right thing."

The girl shook her head, her stomach burned with bile. "No, Simon. You needed help. I didn't tell them."

The older man replied, "It's dead and gone, now."

Marceline's voice hitched and now hot tears poured down her face. Her voice shook, but she whispered, "You were more of a father to me, Simon. I betrayed you."

He looked at her with his big, bloodshot eyes. They were sad. "_I_ betrayed _you._ I can't justify what I did, but I can still regret it."

Marceline pressed her hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs. More tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped off of her chin. "You didn't mean to, you thought I was your fiancée." She begged, pleaded.

Simon whispered, "You're such a good girl, Marcy. That's how I remember you. A kind, loving girl."

Marceline couldn't take it anymore. "No," she nearly exclaimed, "I'm a horrible girl. I let my mentor and best friend rot in prison!"

Simon shook his head again, and asked, "Marcy, do you have a tape recorder or something?"

She raised an eyebrow but nodded. He said, "Hold it up to the phone. I wrote something for you, my dear."

Marceline fished her smart phone from her pocket. She pressed the record button.

"Good, now listen." Simon said.

* * *

**Her eyes glaze over the headline of the newspaper. **

**"Convicted pedophile believed to be killed in runaway car crash."**

**Her eyes read it over and over again, total disbelief coming along with the realization. Her eyes water but she doesn't cry. She won't speak. Only his name crosses her mind:**

**Simon. **

**She sets the newspaper down on the coffee table and rises. She crosses the living room floor into her bedroom, and lies back onto her bed. She feels a heavy pang erupt in her chest. It can't be…**

**Simon never drives. He hates cars. He'd rather go back to prison than get in a car. **

**It just isn't possible.**

**There's no turning back, though. The body is nearly all charred in the explosion that followed the car crash. They find a pair of circle-framed glasses with him, ones that looked like they belonged to John Lennon. The autopsy report reads that he had a very long nose, and was past his fifties. He had white hair. His skin was a strange bluish color.**

* * *

Marceline's eyes were still wet, but her smile brought joy to Simon.

"That was wonderful, Simon, thank you." She whispered.

The older man's eyes sparkled, "My dear, I've missed you terribly."

Marceline's body filled with warmth. "Simon, I love you so much."

He pulled his hand away from the plastic and said, "My darling, I love you too. More than you'll ever know. Now, you're going to hate me, though."

She shook her head furiously, "Never." She said.

Simon's eyes darkened and he spoke quietly, "Never come back here again."

Her heart began pounding in her chest. "What? Why?! I…I thought you said…" She sputtered, her eyes tearing up again.

He sighed, "You'll hear my voice singing to you every night. You can never return here, Marceline. I love you, my dear, my darling. Go on."

With that, he lifted the phone back into its cradle. Despite Marceline's cries, her desperate pleas, Simon walked away with an officer.

She felt herself fall to the ground, barely registering the multiple hands reaching for her and hoisting her up. She screamed and shouted and thrashed and sobbed.

Not again, _not again._

* * *

**Marceline feels the beads of salty water run down her face and chin. Her chest heaves as she vomits the last of the bile into the toilet bowl. With every wretch, she thinks of him. Simon. Why, Simon?**

**Finally, she leans back onto the wall, allowing the cold tile to soothe her burning skin. She cries more, wiping the sweat off of her skin as she does. She remembers his voice. She wants to hear it once more.**

**Marceline is in her room now. She pulls out her bass and sits her cell phone next to her. She presses play on the screen and sits. She plays the melody on her bass as she waits for his voice.**

**Then, it's like he's there with her. His blue hands holding her own, his musky scent mingling with hers. His large, sad eyes sparkle and his lips press against her forehead.**

**He sings:**

**"Marceline, is it just you and me in the wreckage of the world?"**

* * *

**_Oh, Lord. That was heartbreaking to write. So many feels, not enough tissues. _**

**_Simon and Marceline have always had that complicated relationship. My favorite episodes of all time would have to be "Simon and Marcy" and "I remember you". I just….love their relationship so much. And the way Marceline sang to him and then they hugged and she almost cried…. And then she sang the letter he wrote for her….that's where the last  
sentence came from if you don't recognize it^^_**


	9. Chapter 9

Finn stifled chuckles as he squeezed the bottle of sunblock into his hand, prompting it blurt out the noise akin to flatulence.

He looked over at Flair and giggled, "It farted."

The red head smiled back at him, shifting around the beach ball, baskets and other beach accessories to grab the sunblock from him. He amicably passed her the bottle and started rubbing the chemical onto his arms and knees.

"I burn like gasoline." Flair explained, rubbing a sizeable amount over her exposed midriff and face.

Finn smirked, replying, "Me too. I get all freckly and peeled after a day at the beach."

The red head squirted some of the chemical at Finn's face and laughed, "Maybe this time we'll fry together."

The blond boy shouted, "Gah!" as some of the sunblock landed on his mouth. He wiped it off with his palm and reached over to smear it in Flair's ponytail.

"Ew!" She shouted, laughing. She continued to squirt the bottle, chuckling as it farted with every squeeze she subjected it to. Finn shielded himself with his hands and cried out, "No! I'm melting!"

A sudden knock on the window of Finn's side of the car stopped them. Jake entered the driver's seat. He was dressed in a blue undershirt and white swimming shorts. His curls, nearing his neck now, were loose and frizzed from the summer heat.

"You look like Angela Davis, Jake." Flair teased.

Jake looked at her from the mirror and narrowed his eyes. Finn smiled and looked endearingly at her. She always said the smartest things. He wished he could be as intelligent as her. He wished he could tell her how smart she was without tripping over his words like a rolled up carpet.

"So where's Raini?" Finn asked his brother.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck and said, "She's coming."

With that, a plumped up Raini opened the passenger seat's door and waddled into her seat. It'd been six months since she announced her pregnancy. Her belly only inflated halfway, her tiny frame looked like a pencil with a boil. She wore a rainbow sarong over her abdomen.

Finn slammed his fists onto the back of Jake's seat and shouted, "Beach party! Let's go!"

Flair cried, "Tunes! Tunes! Tunes!"

Jake sighed. _"Teenagers."_ He groaned.

Raini smiled demurely. Flair shouted, "The Con!"

Jake started the car and opened the windows while Raini popped a CD into the dashboard. Seconds later, as Jake started driving, Finn and Fair were singing,

_"Calm down, I'm calling back to say_

_ I'm home now_

_ I'm coming around, I'm coming around_

_ Nobody likes to but I really like to cry_

_ Nobody likes me_

_ Maybe if I cry_

_ Spelled out your name and lists the reasons_

_ Faint of heart_

_ Don't call me back_

_ I imagine you when I was distant_

_ Not insistent_

_ I followed suit and laid out on my back imagine that_

_ A million hours left to think of you_

_ And think of that"_

Finn reached over to grab Flair's hand and they bobbed back and forth of the car as they rejoiced in the music. The red head yanked her hair out of the ponytail and sat up on her ankles and started to thrash her hair around. The blond laughed and did the same, flipping his hair back forth and shouting along with the singers.

Jake turned his head back and shouted, "Hey! Stop being crazy or I'll beat the glob out of you both!"

The pair of youth complied, holding in giggles at the look of Jake's mad face.

"Glob, Jake. What's the matter with you?"

"Yes, Jake, why are you so angry?" Raini asked.

The older male pressed his hands on the steering wheel and sighed, "Just work. That snot Hunson took over for me while I'm on break. Glob knows what he's doing, probably messing up Mr. Gumm's office. He's irresponsible."

Finn pursed his lips and then replied, "No need to worry bro. We're going to the beach!"

Flair asked, "Who's Hunson?"

Jake answered, "One of my coworkers. He's a bumbling idiot. He's Marceline's father, actually."

The red head nodded, replying, "Yeah, I remember her. She was nice. Why didn't we invite her out?"

Finn shrugged, "We tried. But she said she was going out with her boyfriend. She also really hates the sun."

Flair rolled her eyes, pointing at the freckles on her face. "Well me and the sun don't get along either."

Finn replied awkwardly, "I think the sunlight looks nice on you."

Jake and Raini laughed from their seats up front. Flair blushed and looked outside through her window.

Finn groaned inwardly. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

* * *

After a fun, splish-splashing day in the ocean, Finn and Flair climbed onto the beach and giggled.

Raini and Jake called them over for supper. Jake held up homemade sandwiches and cups of lemonade, trying to entice them.

Finn looked over at Flair, who was on the ground in the sand. "Let's be sand crawlers!" He shouted.

"What?" Flair asked, smiling.

"Like…scarabs or whatever the heck they're called. C'mon, we'll race!"

"We're gonna crawl in the sand? I'll be smothered with it!"

"So what, Flair? There's a freaking giant bathtub right there" he pointed to the ocean, "C'mon! Ready…"

Flair rolled her eyes and got on her hands and knees, ready to out-crawl Finn.

"Set….Go!"

The two friends took off, crawling and slithering in th sand. Flair had the upper hand, since she actually exercised. Finn grabbed her ankle and started yanking her back.

"No…you…don't!"

Flair looked back at him and shrieked, shoving her foot into his nose.

Finn recoiled with a shout and fell onto his back. He clutched his face and groaned.

The red head gasped and crawled over to him. Jake and Raini approached quickly. "My nose!" Finn whined.

He pulled his hand away and Flair turned away from the sight of blood. "I'm really sorry, Finn. I didn't mean that!"

Jake cradled his brother's head and commented, "Oh, man. The blood is really gushing out, isn't it? Let's get you to a doctor."

Finn waved it off, saying, "No it's OK. I'm fine."

Raini covered her mouth. She hated the sight of blood.

Jake shook his head, "That's ridiculous. Your nose might be broken. C'mon."

Flair looked apologetically at Finn. He offered her a weak smile.

* * *

The young girl walked in on him a few hours later after the doctor patched him up. He sat up in the hospital bed, white bandage plastered over his nose. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey, Flair! Where's Jake?"

"He…uh, he took Raini home. She was getting tired."

Flair sat beside Finn and rubbed her elbow. "Finn, I'm sorry. It's my fault your nose is broken."

The blond waved his hand, snorting, "I've had worse, believe me."

The red head smiled, tugging at her hair. Finn noticed that it was matted, wavy from the sand and salt water.

"You should straighten your hair less. It looks nice like this." He commented.

Flair blushed again and replied, "Whatever medicine they gave you must be working a little too well."

Finn chuckled lightly. He leaned over and planted one on Flair's lips.

He expected her to pull away, to shove him back, but instead she let him kiss her.

He was gentle with her. A stroke on her cheek, a hand on her knee. Flair was shy with her kisses. She tilted her head to the side, allowing Finn to gain more access of her mouth.

Finn pulled away, grunting. Flair raised her eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

The boy reached up. "My nose."

Flair held in a laugh. "Sorry."

Suddenly, the door opened and Finn gasped at the person who entered the room.

"Finn? Raini told me you'd be here."

It was Bonnibel.


	10. Chapter 10

Finn stared at the slender, tall, strawberry blonde haired maiden standing in the front of the hospital room. She looked a little tanner, probably thanks to the summer heat. Bonnibel was still the pretty, shapely girl he'd loved all those months ago.

"Jake told me you'd gotten hurt." She said simply, eyeing Flair, who sat beside him on the cot.

In turn Flair glared at her. "Uh, hi," she said, standing. She stood in front of Bonni and held out a hand. "I'm Flair Pyre. I'm Finn's friend."

Bonni cautiously took her hand and tightened the smile on her face. "Yeah, I know who you are. Your brother and I were in middle school together."

At the mention of her older sibling, Flair went rigid and stared at Bonni with her large brown eyes. She stared hard and deliberately.

Finn finally spoke. "You have a brother, Flair?"

The red head nodded, replying, "Yeah. His name is Fillip."

Bonni completely ignored the ginger and pushed past her, much to Flair's dismay. The genius sat herself beside Finn and reached out to touch his bandages.

"Whoa, someone must have done a real number on you." She observed, looking quite concerned.

Finn awkwardly laughed and responded, "Me and Flair were messing around. It got a little out of hand."

Bonni raised an eyebrow and deduced, "So your friend broke your nose?"

Flair rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "This is it. When accusations start flying , I'm out the door."

Finn watched her go with a look of horror on his face. "Wait, Flair! Where're you going?"

The red head replied brashly, "My dad is home alone. I'm going."

As she walked out, the blonde boy glared at Bonni and accused, "What the Hell, Bonni?"

The girl shrugged and said, "Settle down, Finn. I'm trying to protect you."

Finn raised an eyebrow, completely confused. "From _what?"_

Bonni pressed her hand over his shoulder and said, "I'm just looking out for you, Finn. That girl, she's not good for you. Just trust me."

The blonde boy ripped himself from her grasp, ignoring the rush of blood to his head. He nearly shouted, "I can't believe this! You're the one that let me down! I won't let you build me up just so you can tear me down again. No! I'm done!"

The genius just stared up at him, looking hurt. Finn shook his head, laughing dryly. "Don't even give me that look." He muttered. He grasped his overnight bag and left the room, completely intent on leaving Bonni behind forever.

What was her problem? First she likes him as a friend, and then she baits him so that they're close to a romantic breakthrough, and then she pushes him out of life. And then she sends his crush running and starts pawing at him again. How dare she?

He approached the front desk of the clinic and said, "Yeah, I need to sign out."

The woman behind the counter replied, "Sure, honey. One moment."

As she worked over something on her computer, Finn placed his arms on the counter and sighed. He noticed in his peripheral vision, Bonni was leaving the clinic. She looked sad.

He didn't care. He turned his attention to the clerk and gave her the information needed. The lady told him to await his brother so he wouldn't walk home alone. Finn declined and said Jake wouldn't mind his walking home. The clerk shrugged and the blonde boy took advantage of the warm night air.

It was nearly a week before Flair saw Finn again. She was sitting on the old, beaten up couch in her living room, reading, when a knock on the door sounded.

She approached it and was fully stunned to see Finn standing there, looking apologetic.

The boy cleared his throat and said, "Hey. I'm really sorry about what happened the other day. Believe me, I wasn't expecting it at all. Bonni and I aren't even friends anymore."

The red head leaned against the door and cupped her hip with one freckled hand. "Finn, I see your nose healed pretty well."

The boy's hand subconsciously flew up to his face and he smiled slightly. "Yeah, yeah, it did. I…I missed you."

Flair blushed and shrugged, "Yeah, I guess I did too."

Finn grinned. "Awesome," he replied, "So does this mean we're still together?"

The girl's eyes flew open and she replied, "Uh…together?"

The blonde's shoulders slumped, as though he could forecast impending doom. "Well…we kissed."

Flair nodded, "Yeah, we did. But I'm not sure if we should pursue such a deep relationship…at least not yet."

The boy sighed and glared at the ground. "OK. I get it."

The red head furrowed her eyebrows. He didn't get it. "I'm really sorry, Finn. I like you, but…"

"Whatever." Came his reply. And he turned around and walked away, sad and lonely and betrayed all at once.

"Ugh, Miles. I _hate_ when no one takes me seriously." Bonnibel seethed from her bed.

The butler was busy dusting a vase in the room, and he replied obliviously, "Yes, Madame."

She rolled over onto her side and groaned. "Poor Finn. He has no idea what I've done for him."

"Yes, Madame."

"Did you even hear what I just said, Miles?"

"Yes, Madame."

"Ugh! This is what I'm talking about! He believes that he's pursuing some pretty, innocent girl. Little does he know that her family has a twisted history. Her father was a fall-down drunk, her mother overdosed, and her brother is in prison for armed robbery and many counts of assault. He hurt a lot of people, Miles. And Finn is getting himself wrapped up in it all without any knowledge of it. I just won't allow such a sweet kid to be tainted."

Miles turned around and asked honestly, "Does this mean you don't have any more feelings for Marceline?"

Bonni blushed and buried her face in a pillow. "Shut up and keep dusting, Miles."

* * *

**Hey, ya'll. Sorry about the hold up. As usual, ATLA and LoK have taken up a bulk of my time. So this is the last chapter I'm going to do for a while. I'll be busy for a couple of months, doiing shiz. For those readers who demand new chapters like I can hust belt one out in one sitting, you're all jerks. Anyone who saysm "Come on it's been FOREVER!" Don't you think I effing know that? Sheesh. Cut it out.**


	11. Chapter 11

_"As thousands of Americans pile in front of the White House for the annual Fourth of July celebrations, all we can say is that it's going to be one colorful, blastacular day for this nation."_

_"Blastacular, Robin?"_

_"Yes, Lisa. There's nothing like a good fire work show to show our American pride!"_

_"How very true. Stay tuned for full coverage of the party right after this."  
_

Finn turned off the TV and slid off the couch. He knew Jake would start yelling at him about not joining the party if he didn't come outside. It was Independence Day, and that meant the Mertens were to throw a barbeque bash in their small backyard and invite everyone they knew. It also meant a lot of meat, and fireworks, which were Finn's fortes. He always did like celebrating the Fourth. It was always the warm summer air kissing his skin, the embers from the sparklers singing his clothes, the shouts of excitement as colors exploded in the sky, those were what he really loved about the holiday.

He heard the doorbell ring. Smoothing down his blond hair, checking to see if his white shirt and jeans weren't mussed up, he approached the door with caution. He'd taken great care overviewing the guest list. Flair was supposed to come, though nearly a month ago they'd stopped talking. But Finn couldn't stop thinking about her.

He took a deep breath, smiled big and swung open the door. His face fell immediately when he saw a slightly chubby, red-cheeked girl with the brightest purple hair he'd ever seen. Her glare instantly made him repaint his smile.

"Lola," he said.

Lola smirked and leaned in to gather Finn into a tight hug. She replied in her deep, Valley girl accent, "What's up, Finn? I was seriously debating coming here, because my ex-boyfriend Brad was having this freaky nasty bash at his place, but he's being a big douche so I decided to come chill here."

Finn, being crushed between Lola's very thick arms, replied in a labored breath, "You're always welcome here, Lola…" he tried to sigh, "Lola….you're crushing me."

The girl let go, nearly shoving him back, and retorted, "So, I bought a red dress just for the holidays. You like?"

She spun around, and Finn watched the extremely flashy, sequined fabric sparkle under the summer sun. It clashed horribly with Lola's hair, but he said nothing except, "Lovely."

Lola threw her chin up and replied with a haughty, "Thanks, I know." Then she proceeded to push past him and say, "Oh, my parents are coming later. They're bringing a pie."

"Nice to know," Finn said. The girl found her way outside and he could hear a collective moan from Jake and Raini, signaling that they were hoping she wouldn't show up. Lola Stephanie Porter had known the Mertens for years now, being a daughter of Finn's parents' friends. Finn and Lola used to attend Bible study together. The fact that they both hated it had connected them. The chubby girl could be quite pushy, bossy, and _very_ arrogant. There were only certain times that Finn could relate to her as a fellow teenager, because she was melodramatic almost always, and Finn was normally a very laid-back boy.

Sighing, Finn approached Beemo's cage in the corner of the living room and unhooked the metal case from its perch. He felt the bird's weight shift and the ruffle of feathers indicated that he was awake. The bird looked up and whistled. Finn apologized, "Sorry for waking you up, buddy. But we've got a party to attend."

He carried the cage in one hand, and pushed past the back door into their backyard. Once he was on the porch, he caught sight of Raini and her very pregnant form, Jake standing in front of the grill and wearing an apron that stated, "F**k me, I'm part Irish". Lola sat on the picnic table next to the plate of cookies Raini had made for the occasion. Her face was full of the sweets and their crumbs. Typical, Finn thought with amusement.

Beemo twittered and whistled, and Finn set the cage on the table. Lola's face lit up and she started to bounce as she squealed, "How cute! He's so lumpin' feathery!" She proceeded to stick her finger into the cage, squeaking, "Who's a cute little birdie?"

Frightened by her, Beemo squawked and bit her. Lola recoiled so fast she knocked over the cage. It fell onto the ground and broken from the bottom, allowing the blue-green parrot to fly out frantically, clinging to Finn's shoulders with his talons.

Raini stifled a laugh, and Jake winced at the sound of the impact. Lola sat up, brushing her purple curls out of her eyes. She groaned heavily in embarrassment, her cheeks going red. "Ugh! Finn, your bird is a menace! I'm going to the bathroom to compose myself!"

She hurried off and Finn shared a laugh with his brother and future sister-in-law. Beemo even whistled in excitement. Jake was the first to calm down, leaning over the grill and watching the coal. "She's a character, that Lola."

"Oh yeah," Finn responded as he picked Beemo's cage off the ground, "she belongs in a cartoon."

Raini perked suddenly, saying in her accented voice, "I think I hear voices."

Finn nodded, replying, "Yeah, me too." He heard people coming closer and walked towards the walkway between the backyard and the front yard. He found Braco, a co-worker of Jake's, and Mr. Gumm walking towards the yard. The two were engaged in conversation. Finn waved at them and called, "Hey, guys! Glad you could make it!"

The two men turned around and waved back. Finn shook hands with Braco. He was a nice looking fellow, with brown hair and a turtleneck. Jake had only mentioned him once. Then the boy turned to Mr. Gumm and greeted, "Hi, Mr. Gumm, sir. Happy Fourth."

The tall, large man was dressed in a ridiculously white leisure suit, a signature pink flower sitting in his breast pocket. He boomed, shaking Finn's hand so hard the boy thought it would fly off. "How are ya, boy? Good to see ya again! Sorry little Bonni couldn't make it. I know you had a falling out a couple of months ago, but she did want to come. Hope you two could patch things up. It'd be great to see her actually react to the outside world again."

This alarmed Finn. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Mr. Gumm shrugged, as though not understanding the magnitude of Bonnibel's situation, "I just mean she's been cooped up in her private study, doing science things. Doesn't talk much to anyone, not anymore."

The blond instantly let go of his brother's boss's hand and stepped to the side, allowing them to pass. Bonni was depressed. She had to be. When she was grief-stricken, she withdrew into her private study and never spoke to anyone. Finn felt very guilty. He'd done that to her. He sighed. He decided to call her. Possibly invite her over.

He hurried back into the house using the side door and approached the kitchen, where the only house phone sat perched on the counter. His cellphone had been broken for a week, and Jake kept putting off fixing it. Finn dialed Bonnibel's number, amazed that he could actually remember it all.

_555-0995_, he dialed. He held up the phone and waited, listening to it ring. As he did, his stomach churned with nervousness. Even though he'd long forgotten his crush on her and ended their relationship on a bad note, he felt like they could rekindle their friendship. He sort of missed the pink-haired genius.

The ringing cut off and was immediately replaced by, "_This is Bonnibel Gumm. In case you're wondering, I'm either studying or doing something science-y. In either case, I'm super-duper busy, so why don't you leave me a message and I'll catch ya later?"_

Finn smirked. Her message was corny. He cleared his throat as he waited for the beep, and then spoke as bravely and calmly as he could, "H-h-hi, Bonni," he cleared his throat again, "Long time no speak? Heh, so listen, I've been thinking, maybe we've spent too much time apart. Oh, this is Finn by the way. Um, yeah, so if you'd give me a call, and maybe we could just…talk. Because I miss you. And…I'm sorry for being such a fart in the hospital. OK, so…yeah, please call back. Bye."

He pulled the phone away and blew out an extended, heavy sigh. God, he sounded like a dork. But Bonni never minded his dork-ness because she was equally as dorky. He just hoped that she'd forgive his brash actions.

The doorbell rang and Finn put the phone down, striding over to the door. As he pulled it open, he nearly choked on a gasp. Holding a platter covered in foil, with half of her head shaved, was Marceline. The older girl nearly chuckled when she saw Finn's shocked expression. The blond couldn't be seeing what he was seeing. Marceline….had only half a head of hair.

_What?_

She laughed a little harder when Finn's expression didn't change. Marceline asked, "Is it that ugly?"

Finn blinked, recovering quickly, "Uh, no, no. It's cool….just…."

"A drastic change?" The girl replied.

"Yes," Finn responded with a sigh. "Wow, it's so….you. Oddly enough."

Marceline ran her pale, thin fingers through the left side of her head, weaving her hair around them. "Yeah. I was just getting so sick of the whole symmetrical thing. Decided to give this a try."

The blond smiled and stepped out of the way, watching her walk in. "Jake is gonna _freak_."

Snorting, Marceline replied, "I know."

Looking around, Finn asked, "Where's your boyfriend?"

She shrugged, itching the bald side of her head. "Some business meeting. Kind of a bummer, but what are you going to do?" She looked down at the foiled platter and thrust it towards him. "Hummus—Jerusalem style. Shiz is the _best_," she explained.

Finn thanked her and looked her over once more. She seemed appropriately dressed for the occasion. A plaid, flannel shirt, a tank top with the American flag printed on it, and ripped jeans constituted her outfit. It sort of…enhanced her hair cut. It made it softer, like she'd always looked that way.

Marceline asked, "The party's out back, yeah? You've got punch, right?"

The blond smirked and replied, "Hawaiian, just as you like."

"Awesome," she answered, already walking outside.

Finn grinned. He hadn't seen Marceline in months, and now that he had seen her, he felt a little at ease. She had that quality. Unless, of course, you were Jake. Then you were always bickering with her or afraid of her.

He was about to follow her when a loud knock sounded on the door. When h opened it, he was bombarded with greetings and hugs from several people. Ann, their cousin, Cinna Bon who was their kind but burly neighbor, James Baxter—the nicest guy in town, Susan, Finn's biological aunt whom they'd found two years ago, Richie Ricardio, their haughty and snobby neighbor, Mrs. Trunks, and—surprise, Flair.

When he saw Flair, he raised his brows in surprise and smiled. The redhead smiled back and actually hugged him. The embrace made his heart flutter. "It's great to see you," he whispered.

"Happy Fourth," Flair replied, pulling back.

"Sorry I haven't called," Finn said, still holding her hands.

"Sorry I didn't text," the girl responded.

For a moment, their eyes met and they wordlessly communicated. Weeks of absences, confusion, and heartbreak were passed along, and both of them had concluded that they'd missed each other.

Finn cleared his throat, saying, "The party is raging outside. Want to go?"

"I didn't come here to stare at you all day," she quipped, but after seeing his crestfallen expression she laughed, "I'm kidding."

At about eight-thirty that night, Finn, Lola, Flair and Marceline had escaped the Merten's crowded backyard in favor for the grassy hills surrounding the area. They all sat in the grass, looking up at the night sky. They'd eaten their share of barbeque, except Marceline, who was a vegetarian. They were all stuffed till they were about to burst.

Flair sighed, muttering, "I wish there were more stars out tonight."

Marceline replied coolly, "Tell that to the factories, they're the ones polluting the sky. Imagine how beautiful the sky would be if we could see all the stars. It'd be like a billion fireflies permanently glued to a midnight blue flypaper."

"That was really good, Marcy," Finn responded, "you could write that down."

The girl smirked, replying, "I could, couldn't I? Try this one on for size, _'You're like a fire fly, and I'm a blue widow/ got you so hung up on me like you're swinging from a willow/you're so scared like I'm a shark and you're the minnow/watching you drive by through my shades in your bullet-poof limo'."_

The three of them collectively whistled. "That was impressive rapping, Marceline," Finn marveled.

Lola said, "Yeah, you should be a rap artist. Be the next Nicki Minaj or Becky G, girl."

She chuckled, replying, "No thanks. Not a fan of second-class acts."

Flair praised, "But it was great. You're really creative."

"Thanks," Marceline replied, "it takes some practice, but once you got your vocabulary down, you can make anything a rap."

Finn sat up on his elbows and said, "Here's a challenge. Do one about America."

Scoffing, Marceline stood up and pointed an accusing finger, "You're not challenging me. But alright, let's do this."

Finn started to beat box expertly, Lola and Flair started to clap in sync and Marceline cleared her throat, launching into another set of rhymes,

_"Land of the free and home of the brave/surging forth like a crystal blue wave/glowing like the brightest of white stars/Show me anyone else who made it to Mars/Bravery and strength runs through our blood/pouring over the battlefield like a red flood/Gun shouts and battle cries ring on the field/to our foes overseas we will not yield/Our banner yet waves as it soars in the air/so try to dispute with us if you dare/To our founding fathers and heroes we Revere/let us salute as we let out a proud cheer/When you see us you should start running/ because everyone knows when the reds are coming/If you wish us death ever so bitterly/Be prepared because we fight for liberty."_

Marceline finally stopped, taking in a deep breath. The three of her friends exploded into applause, with Lola even attempting to whistle. Finn reached out to give her a fist bump, and when he looked over he gasped.

Flair and Lola asked, "What's wrong, Finn?"

The blond shook his head but looked at Marceline with a knowing look. The girl looked subtly over her shoulder and saw what Finn was surprised by.

Finn stood up, saying, "I'll be right back guys. Don't let me ruin your flow."

Ignoring Marceline's hesitant reply, he walked down the hill towards the pink wearing girl. She smiled weakly at him, to which he returned the smile.

"Hey," she croaked.

"Bonni," he greeted, hugging her. "Thanks for coming."

The genius wrapped her arms around him in return and softly replied, "I couldn't say no. I've really missed you, Finn."

"Me too, Bonni," Finn answered. He took a good look at her face, noting the hallow of her cheeks and the bleary eyes. "I'm sorry about exploding at you."

She raised a hand, shaking her head, "No, no. It's all my fault, I was being a control freak. I hope I didn't jeopardize your relationship."

Finn held in a chuckle, remembering all the late nights waiting by the phone, waiting for Flair to contact him. "No," he said, "we're fine."

Bonni sighed, looking relieved, "I came here in hopes of watching the fireworks with you. And," she tipped her head to the side and waved at Finn's other friends, even smiling at Marceline, "catching up with everyone."

Finn was pleasantly surprised. "Of course, Peebles, come on. We were just rapping up a storm."

He started walking up the hill and the genius followed. When he got to their perch, Bonni hugged Lola, muttered a quiet 'sorry' to Flair, and waved amicably at Marceline. The five of them sat in the grass, more comfortably than ever. Soon, the sky was alight with flashing pinwheels, and rainbow explosions, and the sound of booming filled the air. Finn took his eyes off of the overhead show and looked over at Flair, who lay beside him, and Marceline and Bonni, who lay beside each other, looking happy and at ease. For the first time in a long time, Finn relaxed completely and noted that maybe things were finally going back to normal.

* * *

**Well, hello there lovely readers of mine! It's been a while, like two months almost. I've been busy writing for LoK and ATLA, fasting, visiting family, and just overall ignoring this story. I'm sorry. I hope this latest chapter has fulfilled your needs. Review!**


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